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Still tense situation in Somalia at the start of the year between Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and President Farmajo. Faced with these tensions, the international community is increasing calls for dialogue.
With our correspondent in Nairobi, Albane Thirouard
The conflict between the Somali president and his prime minister continues. President Farmajo a week ago tried to suspend his prime minister, Mohamed Hussein Roble, citing allegations of corruption. The latter responded by accusing him of wanting to seize power. The two men have been engaged in a standoff for several months around the elections, which are behind schedule.
Latest twist to date, the Prime Minister announced Saturday, January 1 in the evening of the establishment of a ministerial committee responsible for investigating the attempt to remove him from office. The opposition calls for the president’s resignation.
The international community calls for dialogue
The situation worries all the more that each side benefits support within the security forces. The international community is increasing calls for appeasement. Thursday, December 30, the African Union notably invited the two men to dialogue and to find a political solution to the crisis.
The United States and the United Kingdom emphasized the urgency of finalizing the electoral process. The two countries have also shown their support for the holding of a national council on the elections, proposed by Mohamed Roble. Bringing together the various stakeholders, its objective will be to resolve the blockages surrounding the electoral process. And to allow the ballot to be concluded quickly.
I spoke today with Somalia’s President @M_Farmaajo regarding the urgent need to stop escalatory rhetoric and actions. I stressed security forces should remain neutral. I urged him to support PM Replying to @Team_Twitter in convening the NCC and completing credible elections quickly.
— Bureau of African Affairs (@AsstSecStateAF) December 29, 2021
The heads of the semi-autonomous regions are currently in Mogadishu for this highly anticipated meeting which should take place shortly. But the discussions do not promise to be simple. Because the heads of regions are themselves divided between those loyal to the Head of State and those loyal to his Prime Minister.
Fear of a new push by shebabs
If these calls for dialogue are increasing, it is also because a new push from the Islamist Shebabs worries. The latter might indeed take advantage of a focus on the tensions within Somali power.
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