MOGADISHU
In late April, after months of political tensions, forces loyal to Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed “Farmajo” exchanged gunfire in Mogadishu with those fighting for the opposition. The country teetered on the brink of all-out civil war.
The political crisis has come on top of a series of humanitarian disasters – the result of the long-running conflict with al-Qaeda linked insurgents al-Shabab, recent flash floods, and a predicted drought that, all told, will leave more than six million people in need of aid.
At the heart of the dispute has been Farmajo’s determination to stay in office for two years beyond the end of his term on 8 February, ostensibly to enable the holding of delayed elections. It was a move backed by the country’s lower house, but not the upper house, and a furious opposition – led by two former presidents – says the extension is simply a power grab.
Eritrea s President Isaias Afwerki, Ethiopia s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and Somalia s President Mohamed Abdullahi pose during the inauguration of the Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital in Bahir Dar, northern Ethiopia on November 10, 2018 [File: AFP/ Eduardo Soteras]
Three years ago, a wave of political change swept across the Horn of Africa. In Sudan and Ethiopia, popular protests led to a change in leadership and what many assumed were democratic transitions. Ethiopia and Eritrea ended their two-decades-long rivalry, for which Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The peoples of the Horn of Africa were euphoric for what many thought would be a new chapter in the region’s history.
Somalia, Kenya re-establish ties
Somalia
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Mogadishu and Nairobi had fallen out on a number of issues, including a maritime dispute.
Somali spokesman Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu reported ties had resumed on May 6. Diplomatic links are based on “mutual benefit & respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-external interference, peaceful co-existence & equality”, he said.
Qatari Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani had telephone calls with Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday.
This Week Around the World
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April 25 Japan: The ruling Democratic Party in Japan lost all three parliamentary seats that were up for grabs in the by-elections, according to
Reuters. The election was the first national election to take place since Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga took office last November. “Two of the elections were held due to scandals, so that was definitely in the background,” said Airo Hino, a political science professor at Waseda University. “But anger and frustration on the part of the people due to how the pandemic’s being handled, and the slowness of the vaccine rollout, also played a part.”
Reversing a Controversial Law Wonât End Somalia s Political Crisis MIN READMay 4, 2021 | 20:14 GMT
A member of parliament gestures in response to the president’s request to annul a law extending his term in Mogadishu, Somalia, on May 1, 2021.
(AFP via Getty Images)
A decision not to extend Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamedâs mandate will alleviate the immediate security crisis in Mogadishu, but continued political turmoil will disrupt the implementation of security and economic reforms needed to stabilize the country. On May 1, Mohamed and the lower house of parliament formally annulled a controversial law that would have extended his term by two years after clashes in Mogadishu sparked concern that Somalia could return violence along clan lines. The decision will restore an agreement that Somali leaders reached in September to hold the countryâs delayed presidential election under an indirect system. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has since invi