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    Traffic police officer shot dead in Bakarah market, Mogadishu

    Bombings hit areas near Mogadishu city HQs

    Heavy fighting underway between local forces, Al-Shabaab in Hiran region

    Heavy fighting underway between local forces, Al-Shabaab in Hiran region

    Joint security operation kills nearly 50 Al-Shabaab fighters in Hawadley  

    Joint security operation kills nearly 50 Al-Shabaab fighters in Hawadley  

    SNA eliminates 21 Al-Shabaab fighters in Hawadley

    Somalia to expand offensive against al-Shabab

    ATMIS congratulates SNA on liberation of strategic towns

    ATMIS congratulates SNA on liberation of strategic towns

  • Parliament
    Somali Parliament expected to decide on the 2022 budget today

    Somali Parliament expected to decide on the 2022 budget today

    Parliamentary Election Committee to hold its first meeting

    Parliament to hold crucial joint meeting today

    Parliament approves Hamze Abdi Barre as Somalia’s 21st Prime Minister

    Parliament approves Hamze Abdi Barre as Somalia’s 21st Prime Minister

    Congratulations pour in for the newly elected Somali Prime Minister

    Somali parliament to hold vote of confidence on Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre

    Upper House approves 5-member constitutional Commission

    Upper House approves 5-member constitutional Commission

  • Education
    Bringing everyone to the table: Supporting distributed leadership in Somalia’s education sector

    Bringing everyone to the table: Supporting distributed leadership in Somalia’s education sector

    President Hassan Sheikh leads nation in marking Somali Teachers’ Day

    President Hassan Sheikh leads nation in marking Somali Teachers’ Day

    UK funded Chevening Scholarships now open for application

    UK funded Chevening Scholarships now open for application

    PM Roble flags off secondary school leaving exams for thousands of learners

    PM Roble flags off secondary school leaving exams for thousands of learners

    USAID announces $6.8M initiative to increase access to education in Somalia

    USAID announces $6.8M initiative to increase access to education in Somalia

  • Humanitarian Affairs
    Study: Somali people ‘highly traumatized’ after years of conflict

    Study: Somali people ‘highly traumatized’ after years of conflict

    World Food Program chief: Somali famine slowed, not avoided

    World Food Program chief: Somali famine slowed, not avoided

    World Bank provides 50 mln USD grant for drought response in Somalia

    World Bank provides 50 mln USD grant for drought response in Somalia

    Somalia’s food crisis is claiming young lives

    8th AFRIMA in Senegal partners UNFPA, seeks support to end humanitarian crisis in Somalia

    The 2011 famine signs on sight, UN in Somalia warns as it calls for scaled up response

    Aid agencies, UN clash over ‘famine threshold’ as hunger ravages Somalis

  • Diaspora Voices
    Saudi government donates food aid to thousands of families in Somalia

    Saudi government donates food aid to Somalia

    Mogadishu Port Remains Closed Over Tariff Dispute

    Former Somali lawmaker involved in Mogadishu twin explosions

    World expresses solidarity with Somalia after attack

    Somali soldiers allegedly tortured former MP

    Somali soldiers allegedly tortured former MP

    NUSOJ impasse deepens as ILO recognises Farouk as Secretary General

    NUSOJ impasse deepens as ILO recognises Farouk as Secretary General

  • Business
    Somalia to issue first new banknotes in more than three decades

    Somalia to issue first new banknotes in more than three decades

    Somalia ‘to lift’ Kenyan khat ban as ties improve

    Boost for Kenyan traders as miraa exports to Somalia more than double

    Ethiopia and Somalia sign air services agreement

    Ethiopia and Somalia sign air services agreement

    DP World inks deal with Puntland to upgrade Bosaso Port

    DP World inks deal with Puntland to upgrade Bosaso Port

    Somali government eyes $100m annually from telcos with new law

    Somalis to call across networks by January

  • Science & Tech
    Somalia meteorite: Joy as scientists find two new minerals

    Somalia meteorite: Joy as scientists find two new minerals

    Uganda successfully launches its first satellite into space

    Uganda successfully launches its first satellite into space

    Banaadir Hospital gets major upgrade from Chinese government

    Banaadir Hospital gets major upgrade from Chinese government

    Opinion: Could Somalia become the next Texas?

    PSA CONUNDRUM: Roble, Farmaajo were ‘supportive’, Coastline Exploration ‘perplexed’

    Controvery in Somalia as gov’t COVID-19 Twitter handle used to spread political messages

    Controvery in Somalia as gov’t COVID-19 Twitter handle used to spread political messages

  • Opinion
    Somalia- Analysis: Could this be Somalia’s best chance to defeat Al-Shabab

    Somalia- Analysis: Could this be Somalia’s best chance to defeat Al-Shabab

    Somalia set to attend this year’s Africa Oil Week

    The exploration of oil and gas in Somalia

    Climate change; a shared global concern

    Climate change; a shared global concern

    Somalia and the human rights debate in Central Asia

    Somalia and the human rights debate in Central Asia

    African nations demand climate change financing ahead of COP27

    African nations can’t ‘adapt’ to the climate crisis. Here’s what rich countries must do

    A deadly decade for Somalia’s journalists

    A deadly decade for Somalia’s journalists

    President Mohamud: There is no turning back. We must finish off Al-Shabaab

    President Mohamud: There is no turning back. We must finish off Al-Shabaab

    Left behind: Deeply broken Somalia

    Left behind: Deeply broken Somalia

    OP-ED: Terrorism has no nationality, ethnicity nor religion. FETO threatens humanity as a whole”

    OP-ED: Terrorism has no nationality, ethnicity nor religion. FETO threatens humanity as a whole”

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    • Home
    • News
      • National
      • International
    • Security
      Traffic police officer shot dead in Bakarah market, Mogadishu

      Bombings hit areas near Mogadishu city HQs

      Heavy fighting underway between local forces, Al-Shabaab in Hiran region

      Heavy fighting underway between local forces, Al-Shabaab in Hiran region

      Joint security operation kills nearly 50 Al-Shabaab fighters in Hawadley  

      Joint security operation kills nearly 50 Al-Shabaab fighters in Hawadley  

      SNA eliminates 21 Al-Shabaab fighters in Hawadley

      Somalia to expand offensive against al-Shabab

      ATMIS congratulates SNA on liberation of strategic towns

      ATMIS congratulates SNA on liberation of strategic towns

    • Parliament
      Somali Parliament expected to decide on the 2022 budget today

      Somali Parliament expected to decide on the 2022 budget today

      Parliamentary Election Committee to hold its first meeting

      Parliament to hold crucial joint meeting today

      Parliament approves Hamze Abdi Barre as Somalia’s 21st Prime Minister

      Parliament approves Hamze Abdi Barre as Somalia’s 21st Prime Minister

      Congratulations pour in for the newly elected Somali Prime Minister

      Somali parliament to hold vote of confidence on Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre

      Upper House approves 5-member constitutional Commission

      Upper House approves 5-member constitutional Commission

    • Education
      Bringing everyone to the table: Supporting distributed leadership in Somalia’s education sector

      Bringing everyone to the table: Supporting distributed leadership in Somalia’s education sector

      President Hassan Sheikh leads nation in marking Somali Teachers’ Day

      President Hassan Sheikh leads nation in marking Somali Teachers’ Day

      UK funded Chevening Scholarships now open for application

      UK funded Chevening Scholarships now open for application

      PM Roble flags off secondary school leaving exams for thousands of learners

      PM Roble flags off secondary school leaving exams for thousands of learners

      USAID announces $6.8M initiative to increase access to education in Somalia

      USAID announces $6.8M initiative to increase access to education in Somalia

    • Humanitarian Affairs
      Study: Somali people ‘highly traumatized’ after years of conflict

      Study: Somali people ‘highly traumatized’ after years of conflict

      World Food Program chief: Somali famine slowed, not avoided

      World Food Program chief: Somali famine slowed, not avoided

      World Bank provides 50 mln USD grant for drought response in Somalia

      World Bank provides 50 mln USD grant for drought response in Somalia

      Somalia’s food crisis is claiming young lives

      8th AFRIMA in Senegal partners UNFPA, seeks support to end humanitarian crisis in Somalia

      The 2011 famine signs on sight, UN in Somalia warns as it calls for scaled up response

      Aid agencies, UN clash over ‘famine threshold’ as hunger ravages Somalis

    • Diaspora Voices
      Saudi government donates food aid to thousands of families in Somalia

      Saudi government donates food aid to Somalia

      Mogadishu Port Remains Closed Over Tariff Dispute

      Former Somali lawmaker involved in Mogadishu twin explosions

      World expresses solidarity with Somalia after attack

      Somali soldiers allegedly tortured former MP

      Somali soldiers allegedly tortured former MP

      NUSOJ impasse deepens as ILO recognises Farouk as Secretary General

      NUSOJ impasse deepens as ILO recognises Farouk as Secretary General

    • Business
      Somalia to issue first new banknotes in more than three decades

      Somalia to issue first new banknotes in more than three decades

      Somalia ‘to lift’ Kenyan khat ban as ties improve

      Boost for Kenyan traders as miraa exports to Somalia more than double

      Ethiopia and Somalia sign air services agreement

      Ethiopia and Somalia sign air services agreement

      DP World inks deal with Puntland to upgrade Bosaso Port

      DP World inks deal with Puntland to upgrade Bosaso Port

      Somali government eyes $100m annually from telcos with new law

      Somalis to call across networks by January

    • Science & Tech
      Somalia meteorite: Joy as scientists find two new minerals

      Somalia meteorite: Joy as scientists find two new minerals

      Uganda successfully launches its first satellite into space

      Uganda successfully launches its first satellite into space

      Banaadir Hospital gets major upgrade from Chinese government

      Banaadir Hospital gets major upgrade from Chinese government

      Opinion: Could Somalia become the next Texas?

      PSA CONUNDRUM: Roble, Farmaajo were ‘supportive’, Coastline Exploration ‘perplexed’

      Controvery in Somalia as gov’t COVID-19 Twitter handle used to spread political messages

      Controvery in Somalia as gov’t COVID-19 Twitter handle used to spread political messages

    • Opinion
      Somalia- Analysis: Could this be Somalia’s best chance to defeat Al-Shabab

      Somalia- Analysis: Could this be Somalia’s best chance to defeat Al-Shabab

      Somalia set to attend this year’s Africa Oil Week

      The exploration of oil and gas in Somalia

      Climate change; a shared global concern

      Climate change; a shared global concern

      Somalia and the human rights debate in Central Asia

      Somalia and the human rights debate in Central Asia

      African nations demand climate change financing ahead of COP27

      African nations can’t ‘adapt’ to the climate crisis. Here’s what rich countries must do

      A deadly decade for Somalia’s journalists

      A deadly decade for Somalia’s journalists

      President Mohamud: There is no turning back. We must finish off Al-Shabaab

      President Mohamud: There is no turning back. We must finish off Al-Shabaab

      Left behind: Deeply broken Somalia

      Left behind: Deeply broken Somalia

      OP-ED: Terrorism has no nationality, ethnicity nor religion. FETO threatens humanity as a whole”

      OP-ED: Terrorism has no nationality, ethnicity nor religion. FETO threatens humanity as a whole”

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      Goobjoog News English
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      Left behind: Deeply broken Somalia

      Saturday August 27, 2022
      in Opinion, OPINION
      A A
      Left behind: Deeply broken Somalia

      FILE PHOTO: UNSOM

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       By Dr. Mohamud M. Uluso

      Somalis and foreign partners hailed the peaceful transfer of power between the elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo on May 23, 2022, following the conclusion of the most corrupt drawn-out parliamentary election which continued between July 29, 2021, and April 23, 2022.

      The transfer diffused public readiness for insurrection had Farmajo remained in power because of the egregious abuses of power and other crimes committed during his tenure. Second, it paved the way for lifting the suspension of the international support imposed because of election delay.

      But, in all honesty, the celebratory display was deceptive because it masked the huge damage inflicted on the legitimacy, viability, and sustainability of the Somali state by the destructive efforts of president Farmajo and his supporters to personalize the power of the state, by all means, necessary, including the hijacking of the parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled in December 2020 and February 2021. Obstruction of a political election constitutes a high crime. Farmajo left behind a deeply broken Somalia with a society incredibly polarized and state institutions dysfunctional, unable to perform their basic duties.

      The rejection of Farmajo’s reelection in the presidential election held on May 15, 2022, saved Somalia from descending into the final abyss. He violated the constitutional constraints, the checks and balances, and the respect for human rights spelt out in the provisional constitution. His authoritarian governance destroyed public trust in democratic state institutions and increased public sympathy for the terrorist group Al Shabab for justice, integrity, and effectiveness.

      During Farmajo’s term, two paradoxical realities were observed. The first reality, the international partners of Somalia – the guardians of good governance – knowingly allowed the deterioration of the Somali political and security situation to the point of public revolt against his legitimacy after extending his term in office for two more years. The revolt ended when the election responsibilities were entrusted with National Consultative Council independent from Farmajo’s influence.

      The second reality had Somalia not been under Chapter VII of the UN Charter that empowered the UN Security Council to authorize the deployment of 22,000 African Union peacekeeping forces (AMISOM) and the establishment of the United Nations Mission for Somalia (UNSOM) with the responsibilities of protecting the federal and state institutions and mediating political conflicts, the situation of Somalia would have been worse than the tragic Ethiopian and Sudanese situations.

      At the transfer of power ceremony, former President Farmajo didn’t claim any accomplishment during his term because there was no shred of evidence for progress made between 2017 and 2022. For the photo-op, he handed over files related to three issues.

      For the first time, Farmajo confirmed that 5,000 Somali military recruits were sent to Eritrea in 2019 for military training. The recruits, still in Eritrea for undisclosed reasons, have not been in the government system. The confirmation was an admission of guilt because he remained silent for three years on the fate of these young recruits. The second issue he mentioned was debt relief, a process driven by the IMF and WB, that was in jeopardy for non-compliance. Finally, he mentioned the well-celebrated decision of the International Court of Justice on the Somalia-Kenya maritime dispute in favour of Somalia. President Hassan spearheaded the case in 2014.

      President Farmajo’s chief of staff revealed two questionable issues. He stated that the office of the president incurred an outstanding debt of 3 million dollars and that the presidential payroll included large number of staff for unspecified tasks. Lately, it was revealed that excluding all other allowances and amenities, the monthly salary of president Farmajo was $60,000.00, annually $720,000.00. The burden of the former president on the federal government budget merits scrutiny for legislation.

      To appreciate the level of corruption, former Director General of the Ministry of Health Abdullahi Hashi Ali declared that 52 million dollars donated by the international community for fighting against Covid-19 have been totally stolen and called for an independent investigation. The theft claim corroborates the findings of the 2020 Interim Report of the Auditor General, which reported 52 million dollars, of which 15.8 million dollars were spent, and 3.9 million dollars were unaccounted for.  In addition, all activities in the financial statement were not implemented.

      One of the most damaging legacies of president Farmajo is the recruitment of young cadres as social media secret services for public disinformation, misinformation, and divisive propaganda that ruined public judgement, trust, and respect, and dented the importance of honesty, facts, and real politics.  It was an open secret that the office of President Farmajo paid millions of dollars to major media outlets and large number of unscrupulous social media wonks to fabricate false accusations and innuendoes against different personalities and social groups to make them villains. That scheme contaminated the political discourse among citizens.

      President Farmajo proved to be unpatriotic, incompetent, and above all a dangerous leader. His machinations to remain in power deepened the public consternation that Somalia is an unfortunate country like Haiti, far from becoming a stable, democratic, and prosperous state in the foreseeable future, and that the state power in the hands of other Somalis than your kinship is treacherous and unacceptable. Those sentiments are major obstacles to the duty-bound working relationship between the leaders of the federal and state governments within the framework of the provisional constitution.  The jurisdiction of the federal government became limited in Benadir Region.

      In nutshell, besides the civil war, the election of Farmajo as president was one of the greatest misfortunes of Somalia because his heartless pursuit of power left Somalia in a dire situation in all aspects. His swearing-in as a permanent member of the federal parliament he delegitimized in broad daylight is an insult to the injury and sets bad example for current and future generations.

      Thus, the elected president and the newly formed government have to deal with the intractable problems exacerbated by post-election sorrows and consequences—the fatigue and disillusionment of the international partners supporting Somalia dash the hope for revival. The drumbeat for negotiation between the federal government and Al Shabab, which is a wrong move that would prolong the misery of Somalia, is a signal of the International Community’s plan to extricate from Somalia’s quagmire.

      The bitterness about the election abuses, the victory of an underdog candidate from the opposition groups, and the boundless contestation over the political spoils are torpedoing the close collaboration between the federal government and the federal member states to save Somalia from disintegrating into fiefdoms. President Hassan’s quick reinstatement of the National Leadership Forum which brings together the leaders of the Federal Government and the Federal Member States to discuss and decide the national political agenda should facilitate the collaboration between the two levels of the federal government.

      Another negative factor is Ethiopia’s bullying and provocations against the new government of President Hassan for ludicrous excuses, most notably for Somalia’s correct view about the dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt over the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile River, an impartial view that is in agreement with article 22 of The Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention). In reaction, Ethiopia started approaching the leaders of the regional states to instigate pro and anti-Ethiopia factions among Somalis. Ethiopia’s stupid actions violate its international obligations and infringe the UN Security Council Resolutions aimed at restoring Somalia as an independent, unified, peaceful, democratic state. The post-civil war Somali governments were “friendly” with Addis Ababa Governments led either by Tigray, Wolayta, or Oromo. Ethiopia’s foreign policy and strategy towards Somalia have never changed.

      Somalia faces a difficult time because of the immense challenges it finds itself after years of political and religious antagonism and poor leadership that lacked the will, capacity, and determination to strengthen people’s political cohesion, sense of patriotism, and trust in the rule of law. The solutions seem hard to fathom at a time in which the world faces multiple crises – global tensions for superpower roles, economic decline and food shortages, and climate change disasters- that would decrease the international support for Somalia.

      Nevertheless, the new government of President Hassan Sheikh shoulders the responsibility of mapping out the complex problems pummeling Somalia to seek political, legal, and practical solutions. The formalities for the cooperation between the leaders of the two levels of the federal government must be outlined and structured within the framework of the federal constitution for the purpose of separating and sharing responsibilities and assigning accountabilities. The program of the federal government presented to the parliament requires methodical, effective, and efficient implementation. Better use of resources, time, and knowledge is critical.

      The author can be reached at mohamuduluso@gmail.com

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