On Tuesday (December 28), heavily armed factions patrolled parts of the capital Mogadishu. Somalia’s neighbors and Western countries expressed shock at the growing quarrel between the country’s president and prime minister. The political crisis may erupt as fears of violence.
One day after President Mohamed Abdullah Mohamed (better known as Falmaho) announced the suspension of Prime Minister Mohammed Hussein Robl, soldiers loyal to the Prime Minister took their place near the Presidential Palace, and the latter accused He “attempted a coup.”
The relationship between the two has been cold for a long time, but recent developments have raised concerns about the stability of Somalia as the country is struggling to hold long-delayed elections and fight the jihadist insurgency.
On Tuesday, troops supporting Robel marched in the streets, adding to the fear of Mogadishu residents who are tired of armed conflict.
“They are not far from the main security checkpoint of the Presidential Palace. They are equipped with heavy machine guns and RPG (rocket-propelled grenades),” resident Saido Mumin told AFP.
Another local, Abdukadir Ahmed (Abdukadir Ahmed) said that although the situation seemed calm, he was “very worried” about the possibility of violence.
International observers urged the two sides to resolve the escalating dispute, while some traditional Somali elders and politicians also tried to calm the emotions.
A source in the President’s Office who asked not to be named told AFP: “Some politicians and elders (have) started negotiations between the two parties to ease the situation, but these efforts have not yet… brought about a formal solution.”
On Tuesday, the opposition alliance of presidential candidates urged Famajo to leave his office immediately and called for “urgent investigations and legal charges against Famajo and anyone who helped him initiate the coup.”
The coalition said in a statement: “This failed coup attempted to destroy the country’s constitutional institutions.”
U.S. warning
The U.S. Department of State’s Africa Bureau warned on Monday that Washington is “prepared to take action against those who hinder the path to peace in Somalia”.
“Attempting to suspend @MohamedHRoble is shocking, and we support his efforts for a fast and credible election. All parties must stop escalating actions and statements,” it said on Twitter.
The United States is ready to take action against those who obstruct the path to peace in Somalia.Trying to pause Reply to @Team_Twitter Shockingly, we support his efforts for a fast and credible election. All parties must stop the escalation actions and statements. https://t.co/gQwkRhGvY8
-African Affairs Bureau (@AsstSecStateAF) December 27, 2021
Famaho accused Roble of interfering in the investigation of a land grabbing case and withdrew the task of organizing the election.
Robb in turn accused Famajo of trying to sabotage the vote.
International observers including the African Union Mission in Somalia (AISOM), the United States, the European Union and the United Nations issued a statement on Monday evening, urging political leaders to “put national interests first.”
The statement said: “International partners have repeatedly expressed increasing concerns about procedural violations and delays in the election process in Somalia.”
Election derailment
In April, Famaho tried to extend his term without holding new elections, sparking a deadly gun battle in Mogadishu.
Robb then set a new timetable for the vote, but in the following months, fierce competition between the two derailed the vote again.
They only agreed to work hard in October, and unified calls for speeding up the Glacier election process.
The elections in Somalia follow a complex indirect model. Nearly 30,000 clan representatives were assigned to select 275 members of the House of Commons, while five state legislatures elected Senators to the House of Lords.
Then both houses of parliament vote to elect the next president.
The upper house elections have ended, and voting in the lower house started in early November. But the appointment of the president seems to have a long way to go.
Analysts say the electoral deadlock has distracted attention from larger issues, especially the Al-Shabaab rebellion.
Al-Qaeda’s allies were driven out of Mogadishu ten years ago, but they still control large swathes of villages and continue to launch deadly attacks in the capital and elsewhere.
