The United Nations
The UN and international partners working to support a lasting peace and democratic election process across Somalia, said on Sunday that they were highly concerned by the current situation there, calling on Somali leaders to “prioritize the national interest” and resolve their political impasse.
The African Union (AU), the European Union (EU); African regional trade bloc, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD,) and the United Nations, met on Friday, “in light of the gravity of the ongoing political stalemate in Somalia over the holding of delayed elections, and the continuing impasse in dialogue between the Federal Government and some Federal Member State leaders”, said a joint communique released following discussions.
Somalia leaders in blame game after talks collapse
Thursday April 08 2021
A meeting called by Somalia s President Mohamed Farmaajo to agree on elections collapsed yet again on April 7, 2021. PHOTO | FILE | NMG
Advertisement
Somalia’s top leaders are trading blame after the collapse of the much-anticipated talks meant to provide certainty on elections.
The blame game ensued on Wednesday evening, dampening optimism that had been expressed earlier in the week, going into talks.
Information Minister Osman Dubbe admitted there had been no progress from the initial sessions and that leaders had fallen out. He criticised leaders of Jubbaland and Puntland states for what he called lack of flexibility on the agenda.
By Liban A. Ahmad
There is a risk that the Somali federal system could be transformed into a springboard for prebendal politics in Somalia.
The deadlock over the Somali electoral model is a facet of deep ideological contest between two groups in the mainstream Somali politics. John Levi Martin, a Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago, defines ideology as how political actors view “their own position, the nature of their opponents and available strategies, in a political field”.
One group gives primacy to the role of the state in making decisions about foreign policy and national infrastructures. The opposing group, whose bottom-up approach to reconstituting the Somali state took shape during 1990s, regards the role of clans, represented in Federal Member States, as the guardians of the Somali federal system.
About MIDA
The main objective of the IOM MIDA Somalia project is to mobilize human and financial resources, to contribute to the stabilization and development of Somalia through local and diaspora expertise. The MIDA project provides the necessary mechanisms to improve institutional performance and the capacity to respond to the needs of the Somali people while at the same time retaining the knowledge within the institution once the diaspora experts complete their assignment. The beneficiary institution will host the qualified Somali diaspora expert and will be responsible to provide a safe and secure work environment. IOM will monitor the performance of the expert while in assignment.
Somalia Must Hold Its Long Overdue Elections voa.gov - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from voa.gov Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.