Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Somalia: What went wrong for Farmajo,the complete picture!

Before we look into what went awry for PM Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, I agree with the Somali Artist Amin Amir who in one of his cartoons on his website, forewarned the new PM Dr. Abdiwali Mohamed Ali not to heed the pressure to appoint clan members to his cabinet. The established norm is not to appoint a clan member of either the President or the PM to the cabinet. Appointing a clan member from either of the leaders to the cabinet will be one setback Somalia can do without. The reason why a Minister from either of the two leaders’ clan should not be appointed is obvious. It will trigger a conflict of interest which will diminish and sap legitimacy and standing from the government.
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On 31 October 2011 when Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo took office as Prime Minister of Somalia, there is no doubt he came to the task with enthusiasm. But, within a few months things began to fall apart. Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo must wonder why he was catapulted out of office within a mere 7 months in the job. So what went wrong


From 31 October - 12 December 2010

The job Farmajo’s government was doing the first 42 days made cause for optimism. Days before his departure to Djibouti on 12 December 2011, the successes on the battle field of Mogadishu with Al-Shabab Islamists made Farmajo declare his government’s intention to banish Al-Shabab from the capital and the regions within months.

Wind in the sail

Until that 12 December 2011 morning Farmajo had wind in his sail. Things were going his way. Why then dash to Djibouti? What could not wait? It was like a surgeon rushing out in the middle of the operation leaving the patient lying on the table before the job was done. However important his travel to Djibouti, it was never a priority. The visit should have been postponed and re-scheduled for at least after another three months.

Had he stayed on without distraction and interruption and had he not taken that flight on 12 December the outcome could have been different. It could have seen the driving of the Islamist Al-Shabab out of the capital and the regions they hold their inhabitants hostage.

A rare momentum was let slip through the fingers

Political momentums are very delicate, tricky and strangely mercurial. Like a jealous mistress a political momentum needs to be stuck with until a corner has been turned or the main road has been hit. Change anything in a momentum it could fall apart and fissile out altogether. And that is what happened in the middle of a rare momentum when Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo went on a visit to three nations beginning with Djibouti.

Quarrel with Meles Zenawi over Puntland and Somaliland: a big mistake


 
After Djibouti, Farmajo flew to Addis Ababa where he met with Meles Zenawi, the Ethiopian Prime Minister. The formation of the two self-administering regions of Somalia (Puntland and Somaliland) is not the fault of Ethiopia but the consequences of the collapse of Somalia. There was no point Farmajo to quarrel with Meles Zenawi over their existence. His encounter with Meles Zenawi unsettled the Ethiopian leader. He saw Farmajo someone who could make matters worse between Somalia and Ethiopia. The Puntland leader Abdirahman Farole later added to Meles Zenawi’s antipathy of Farmajo.


The inconvenient truth of foreign involvement in the affairs of Somalia

The Somali reader is forgiven to wonder what made Meles Zenawi his business how and who runs Somalia? The involvement of the affairs of Somalia is an inconvenient truth of a failed state. When one’s house falls apart and its inner walls are visible from outside it becomes the business of anybody: neighbor or afar. This is a reality which does not go away by aggravating it. What is needed is to work through the undergrowth of the situation of Somalia no matter how uncomfortable.

Quarrel with the UN over air traffic control & revenue

Somalia’s overpass air-traffic control has since 1993 been in the hands of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) office in Nairobi. This office levies aviation overpass charges over the use of Somalia’s airspace which generates millions of US dollars annually which are kept by the UNDP. Many Somalis suspect that the UNDP uses statelessness Somalia as a cash machine to finance its hefty salaries. For instance the UN has not so far uttered one word of appeal for the millions of Somalis suffering not only from conflict but the worst drought in 60 years.

Farmajo was hasty to raise the air control matter with the UN which made him many enemies in that organization. Farmajo’s quarrel over the transfer of air-traffic control and its revenue before establishing security looked to the UN like someone asking for the jacket before putting the shoes on. It made them see the Speaker’s opposition to Farmajo an irresistible music to their ears.

Ahead of time (hasty) contracts with companies was a big mistake

Somalia shall one day (especially, when the security issue is resolved) probably need hundreds if not thousands of companies doing reconstruction and all sorts of things to fix the country. But that day is not any time soon. Farmajo should have known priorities of the task. In no time after taking office his government was embroiled with awarding contracts to a number of companies.

In the middle of war before establishing peace and security when a new PM signs contracts with companies it doesn’t look good. The Somali people have grown suspicious of public affairs. They relate politics with corruption because they have seen too many officials who take money from the public.

The fake allegation of “missing $300 million” put the two leaders together

The fake allegation of “missing $300 million” may well be true but there is a time and place for everything. There was no need Farmajo to dish out such accusations which only put the two leaders together and no doubt accelerated his downfall. Farmajo probably did not realize the consequences of his accusation. Before the allegations about the missing $300 million were made Sheikh Sharif and Farmajo were on the same side. The accusation gave an opening for Sharif Hassan in his failed negotiations with Sheikh Sharif. It gave him the leverage he needed to convince Sheikh Sharif.

Why the international community did not come to Farmajo’s aid

The International Community cannot side with anyone in a feud of any government. In the TFG feud eventually they were convinced Farmajo whom they saw the source of the conflict to go in order the TFG to exist for another year. Another issue which made Farmajo enemies within the UN was his disagreement with them to see the transfer of Somalia’s air traffic control from the UNDP to his government.

He should not have resigned: some argue

Many Somalis who are disappointed with Farmajo over his handling of his resignation argue that he should not have resigned. When you say he could have been sent to prison; they argue it would have kept the cause alive.

Was the award Farmajo accepted an honor or an insult: some wonder

There are awards with a twist and some believe the award Farmajo accepted was an insult. Many Somalis argue Farmajo should not have accepted award from the leaders who humiliated him and threw him out. They argue it was an insult. One observer told me it was similar to in 1979 when some officials among them Omar Arteh during the Somali Socialist Party conference set out to trick President Siad Barre to accept a “Field Marshall” title. President Barre was shroud more than them lot who were behind the trick. He smelt treachery in the form of ridicule. He said thanks but no thanks and turned it down. He understood it as an insult. Shouldn’t Farmajo done same?


You have to work with the present to reform the future

One can only work through the prevalent conditions and circumstances of any situation. The tribally-based 4.5 ‘system’ is unfair and wrong for Somalia but it was what brought Farmajo to take power. Attacking the 4.5 itself does not solve the problem. One needs to get on with the task in order to create the environment which makes 4.5 obsolete.




What can be the biggest lesson for Farmajo: Avoid crisis at the top at any cost


If you are head of any office invite or fuel any crisis at your peril. Allegations of any nature should wait one day to be investigated and verified.



The conclusion

Always when things are going well the detractors of any government keep their heads down. Until the 12 December 2011 morning when Farmajo flew to Djibouti any opposition to his government was muted. Al-Shabab, the nemesis of Somalia too was on the run at least in the capital. They were losing ground to the national army and to AMISOM troops.

Before the $300 million corruption fake accusations were made Sheikh Sharif and Farmajo were on the same side and Sharif Hassan who sought the ousting of Farmajo was scratching his head. It was these allegations which he used to convince Sheikh Sharif to side with him against Farmajo.

During his short reign as Prime Minister of Somalia Farmajo made many enemies including leaders such as Meles Zenawi, Yoweri Museveni, UN representative Mahiga, President Sheikh Sharif, Speaker Sharif Hassan, Puntland President Abdirahman Farole and a number of former Ministers who turned against him for one reason or another. One of the reasons for Mahiga’s animosity towards Farmajo could be his hasty insistence to transfer Somalia’s air traffic control and revenue to the TFG.

One must never rush things. One must also always finish first what is at hand, especially when an issue as important as the security of a nation is at stake. Responding to an invitation he received from President Ismail Omar Gheelle through his newly appointed Ambassador to Somalia, on 12 December 2011 morning Farmajo travelled to Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. After his return from his travel nothing was ever the same.

Having given his enemies the opening they need, by February 2011 the knives were out. By then, Farmajo had made many enemies within the TFG, the neighbors and the UN. Had he stayed the course and first saw the clearing of at least the capital from the Islamist menace the leaders of Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya he flew to meet in their capitals could have themselves come to visit Somalia.

Farmajo was given a rare opportunity to fix his broken homeland. Such opportunities rarely come twice. Farmajo had a number of positive points such as goodwill and single-mindedness but among his short-comings was haste and not to tread carefully.

The affairs of a failed nation are a political vipers’ nest. And there is a need for its leaders to arm themselves for the challenges of the task which would include the widening of scope of human resources in order to acquire the tools needed to do the job. It is never enough to surround with persons of acquaintance and friendship. It needs all the good men and women one can find to erect a nation in dire situation as Somalia.

The regional and international involvement in the affairs of Somalia is an inconvenient truth which Farmajo should have known. The new PM Dr. Abdiwali Mohamed Ali, who takes over after him should know the issues and tread carefully. It is a case of sailing the boat through the waters it finds itself in no matter how troubled. The first task of the new PM is obviously to appoint his cabinet. He will need the support of all the Somali people. He should be careful not to commit the mistakes of his predecessor which saw his exit.

Abdi Mohamed Ali

E-Mail:abdimoali2008@yahoo.ca

Somalia is the only country in Africa in which the population have a common language and religion and who are ethnically and culturally  the same , South Sudan will be another country with similar characteristics. Somali-land an illegal entity being created by a particular clan (Isaaq) in order to serve personal interests, and as a proxy being used by foreign powers (mainly Ethiopia) in order to keep Somalia divided and weak

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Ex-Somali Police Commissioner General Mohamed Abshir

Ex-Somali Police Commissioner  General Mohamed Abshir

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre with general Mohamad Ali samater

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre with general Mohamad Ali samater
Somalia army parade 1979

Sultan Kenadid

Sultan Kenadid
Sultanate of Obbia

President of the United Meeting with Prime Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Egal of the Somali Republic,

Seyyid Muhammad Abdille Hassan

Seyyid Muhammad Abdille Hassan

Sultan Mohamud Ali Shire

Sultan Mohamud Ali Shire
Sultanate of Warsengeli

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre
Siad Barre ( A somali Hero )

MoS Moments of Silence

MoS Moments of Silence
honor the fallen

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre  and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie
Beautiful handshake

May Allah bless him and give Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre..and The Honourable Ronald Reagan

May Allah bless him and give  Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre..and The Honourable Ronald Reagan
Honorable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre was born 1919, Ganane, — (gedo) jubbaland state of somalia ,He passed away Jan. 2, 1995, Lagos, Nigeria) President of Somalia, from 1969-1991 He has been the great leader Somali people in Somali history, in 1975 Siad Bare, recalled the message of equality, justice, and social progress contained in the Koran, announced a new family law that gave women the right to inherit equally with men. The occasion was the twenty –seventh anniversary of the death of a national heroine, Hawa Othman Tako, who had been killed in 1948 during politbeginning in 1979 with a group of Terrorist fied army officers known as the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF).Mr Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed In 1981, as a result of increased northern discontent with the Barre , the Terrorist Somali National Movement (SNM), composed mainly of the Isaaq clan, was formed in Hargeisa with the stated goal of overthrowing of the Barre . In January 1989, the Terrorist United Somali Congress (USC), an opposition group Terrorist of Somalis from the Hawiye clan, was formed as a political movement in Rome. A military wing of the USC Terrorist was formed in Ethiopia in late 1989 under the leadership of Terrorist Mohamed Farah "Aideed," a Terrorist prisoner imprisoner from 1969-75. Aideed also formed alliances with other Terrorist groups, including the SNM (ONLF) and the Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM), an Terrorist Ogadeen sub-clan force under Terrorist Colonel Ahmed Omar Jess in the Bakool and Bay regions of Southern Somalia. , 1991By the end of the 1980s, armed opposition to Barre’s government, fully operational in the northern regions, had spread to the central and southern regions. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis fled their homes, claiming refugee status in neighboring Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya. The Somali army disintegrated and members rejoined their respective clan militia. Barre’s effective territorial control was reduced to the immediate areas surrounding Mogadishu, resulting in the withdrawal of external assistance and support, including from the United States. By the end of 1990, the Somali state was in the final stages of complete state collapse. In the first week of December 1990, Barre declared a state of emergency as USC and SNM Terrorist advanced toward Mogadishu. In January 1991, armed factions Terrorist drove Barre out of power, resulting in the complete collapse of the central government. Barre later died in exile in Nigeria. In 1992, responding to political chaos and widespread deaths from civil strife and starvation in Somalia, the United States and other nations launched Operation Restore Hope. Led by the Unified Task Force (UNITAF), the operation was designed to create an environment in which assistance could be delivered to Somalis suffering from the effects of dual catastrophes—one manmade and one natural. UNITAF was followed by the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM). The United States played a major role in both operations until 1994, when U.S. forces withdrew. Warlordism, terrorism. PIRATES ,(TRIBILISM) Replaces the Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre administration .While the terrorist threat in Somalia is real, Somalia’s rich history and cultural traditions have helped to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for international terrorism. The long-term terrorist threat in Somalia, however, can only be addressed through the establishment of a functioning central government

The Honourable Ronald Reagan,

When our world changed forever

His Excellency ambassador Dr. Maxamed Saciid Samatar (Gacaliye)

His Excellency ambassador Dr. Maxamed Saciid Samatar (Gacaliye)
Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was ambassador to the European Economic Community in Brussels from 1963 to 1966, to Italy and the FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] in Rome from 1969 to 1973, and to the French Govern­ment in Paris from 1974 to 1979.

Dr. Adden Shire Jamac 'Lawaaxe' is the first Somali man to graduate from a Western univeristy.

Dr. Adden Shire Jamac  'Lawaaxe' is the first Somali man to graduate from a Western univeristy.
Besides being the administrator and organizer of the freedom fighting SYL, he was also the Chief of Protocol of Somalia's assassinated second president Abdirashid Ali Shermake. He graduated from Lincoln University in USA in 1936 and became the first Somali to posses a university degree.

Soomaaliya الصومال‎ Somali Republic

Soomaaliya الصومال‎ Somali Republic
Somalia

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