GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The Somali government has said AU envoy John Mahama is not welcome to lead the mediation talks accusing him of links with Kenya in what could unravel another round of battles with the opposition which has welcomed Mahama’s appointment.
Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdirizak said in a note verbal dated May 10 to AU Commission chairman Moussa Faki that the former president of Ghana was not an impartial mediator noting that he had close ties with Kenyan leadership.
“It is indeed surprising that a candidate with an extensive link with Kenya’s leadership has been chosen by the AU to facilitate talks on a political impasse partly engineered by those the Kenyan leadership has supported,” the note read in part.
US Troops Photographed in Somalia After Biden Administration Said Withdrawal Occurred
Photos emerge as Biden admin plots Afghan withdrawal Twitter Jack Beyrer • May 12, 2021 4:55 am
American soldiers posed for photos last week with a Somali leader after the Biden administration said it had withdrawn U.S. forces from the war-torn country.
Jubaland president Ahmed Madobe posted photos showing him flanked by three U.S. troops on May 4. The caption identifies the soldiers as members of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) deployed in the state, which is in the southern tip of Somalia. Met with US forces operating in Jubaland under @USAfricaCommand to discuss ways to inhance [sic] the fight against Al-shabaab, Madobe wrote.
A rigged election in Somalia could open the door to civil war
May 12, 2021 Share
The May 1 vote by Somalia’s caretaker lower house of parliament to scrap the illegal extension of Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed’s presidential term and back fresh elections is a step in the right direction. Known popularly as Farmaajo, Mohamed’s term in office expired in early February, giving rise to a political crisis that has raised serious questions about the country’s stability. The clashes between Farmaajo loyalist and opposition military units in Mogadishu at the end of April and the suicide bomb attack on a police station in the capital’s Waberi district on May 9 are only the latest signs of a worsening security crisis. The potential for violence to escalate further is all too real and more will need to be done, especially on the part of Somalia’s donors, to ensure a peaceful election and transfer of power.
G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ Meeting Communiqué (London, 5 May 2021) Share
I. Preamble
1. We, the Foreign and Development Ministers of the Group of Seven (G7), and the High Representative of the European Union, are meeting today at a critical juncture for our people, our planet, our security and our future prosperity. Democracy is under pressure globally; the pandemic continues to pose acute global challenges; new technological threats are mounting; and the catastrophic effects of climate change are increasing. We commit to strengthening open societies, shared values, and the rules-based international order. We affirm that free and fair trade, and the free and secure flow of capital, data, knowledge, ideas and talent is essential to our long-term prosperity. We affirm that liberal democracy and free and fair markets remain the best models for inclusive, sustainable social and economic advancement. We commit to tackling threats jointly and committing our resources to a
GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The U.S has called for the annulment of the April 12 unilateral Lower House resolution as a first step towards a return to negotiations for elections.
While welcoming the announcement by outgoing president Mohamed Farmaajo to vacate his stance on the illegal two-year extension, the U.S State Department said both Farmaajo and the Lower House must first void the resolution.
“We call on the President and Parliament to act swiftly to annul the April 12 mandate extension bill,” a statement by the State Department spokesperson Ned Price read in part.
The U.S also called for an immediate return to talks premised on the September 2020 Agreement without conditions.