I’m in the dark, AMISOM deputy says of his expulsion from Somalia

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Deputy head of the AU mission in Somalia Simon Mulongo has said he does not understand why he was kicked out of Somalia noting he will await directions from AMISOM on his exit from the Horn of Africa nation.

According to the Daily Monitor in Uganda, Mulongo claimed that he did not know why the Somali government ordered his exit from the country.

“The language used (in the expulsion letter) contains block phrases whose details and meaning I don’t know. I have no [known] reason [for the decision],” Mulongo said.

The Ugandan diplomat who has been serving as AMISOM deputy said he was in the dark about the Somali government order.

“I have no idea what this is about. I want to deal with facts, not rumours.”

Somalia wrote to the African Union on November 4 communicating its decision to eject Mulongo from the country in seven days and that he was no longer welcome in the country.

Somalia said Mulongo had been engaged ‘in activities incompatible with Amisom’s mandate and Somalia’s security strategy.’

Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamed Abdirizak followed up the statement with a tweet.

“The FGS will hold accountable AMISOM personnel, particularly those at the leadership level, who are expected to be beyond reproach in their integrity as they discharge their duty under the UN/AU mandate.”

Mulongo was picked as AMISOM deputy in August 2017 following his completion of one term as MP in Uganda between 2011 and 2016.

AMISOM has not commented on the expulsion of Mulongo.