A Somali opposition MP assassinated, fingers pointed at the President

 

MP Mohamed Warsame Mohamed ( a.k.a. Faisal) was brutally assassinated in front of the presidential palace ( Villa Somalia) in Mogadishu. reports suggest that an explosive device was taped in his car which blasted shortly after leaving the Palace., Mr. Faisal dead minutes after the attack.

A reliable sources say that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamed called Mr. Faisal and reguested him to come to the presidency for discussion, the MP accepted the President’s suggestion and drove to the palace. the source say PM’s car was checked in three heavily guarded security check points on the road to the presidential palace, some of them run by Amisom( AU peace keeping mission in Somalia) We do not know what the two men descussed, but we do know they were staunch political rivals.The esplosion took place after the meeting had ended and Mr.Faisal drove just few miters outside the main gate of the heavily guarded presidential compound.

Mr. Faisal , who hails from the semi autonomous region of Puntland where the islamists have less political influence, was dubbed as “liberal” and “federalist” and he had been staunchly opposing what he called ”damul-jadiid power grab”, (Damul-jadiid are the Somalia branch of the Muslim Brotherhood) and the inner cirle of president Hassan Shelkh Mohamud.But the important clash of ideas between “Damul jadiid” and MP Faisal and his colleagues has been escalated by the recent political infighting between president Mohamud and the outgoing prime minster Abdi Farah Shirdon, Mr. Faisal, who was the chairman of an important parliamentary commitee, spreadheaded the PMs who were against the motion to oust the prime minster and as he was good debator he had became the media man of Shridon’s camp. he was interviewed by many local and international media outlets including BBCSoamali and VOASomali in the run up to the parliamentary session that Shirdon was voted out. the most interesting debate on the political bickering between Mr Faisal and his rivals was held by BBCSomalia service on 29/11/2012, in that debate he made several accussations against the president and his “Damul jadiid” group, he openly accused the president of power grab and unconstitutional steps. he warned that “Damul jadiid” were taking the country into a dark path, may be like that of Egypt. Mr. Faisal explicitly warned that the MPs have good information that president Hassan will use his security forces called (Alfa group) to intimidate or harm the MPs who oppose his plan to impeach the prime minister. that foretelling is very important for the investigation of Faisal’s assassination, if there will be one. Some sources say that the MP was verbally threatened by his opponents.

Interestingly Al shabaab terror group did not so far claim the responsiblity of this killing. As demonstrated by the recent Westage Mall attack, Al shabaab do not miss their words in such occasions and always rush to claim their heinous acts. To kill a MP in front of the presidential palace would be major publicity for Al shabaab. The lack of claim by Al shabaab will understandably fuel the suspicion that the MP was assassinated by the security forces he foretold.

Although one can not rule out that Al shabaab was involved in this bombing, some Somali MPs. the outgoing prime minister, Puntland and relativies of the slain MP all explictly or implicitly, point fingers at president Mohamud being behind this assassination. Some securtiy experts who contributed to this piece see the time, the place and the situation suggest that this is not necessarily the work of Al shabaab. The former central bank governor Yusuf Abrar has reportedly risigned because of fear of her life after she refused to sign up corruption deals, and some source say that she was threatened by some of the president’s close aides..

The election of Hassan Sheikh Mahamoud as president in Sept. 2012, was applauded by Somalis and the West as a major success and important step toward peace and stability in the troubled Horn of Afircan nation, some analysts suggested that Somalia may recover from its number one failed state status. unfortunately these assumptions soon turned to be elusive and the president did not live up to the expectations . he did not came up with strategies and policies that can bring the country back together and end the 23 -year- long catastrophe. His authortirian style of rule remembers the Somali people the days of Siyad Barre, the former military ruler of Somalia, and even some claim Mr Mohamud is dictator in the making.

Ironically president Mohamud stood in fornt of the UN General Assembly in last September and criticized Bashar Al Assad of Syria for killing his own people, he was right because Assad’s slaughter is contemptible , but if it turns out that Mohamud was behind the killng of his own MP that is typical of Assad’s tatics of bomb assassinations in Syria,Lebanon.and elsewhere.

The recent political infighting, the dramatic resignation of the central bank governor, the assassination of MP Faisal, the strained relations with the regions ( Puntland/Jubbaland/Somaliland),the unabated rape scandals, and the quarreling with the EU for direct aid, all point out that the high hopes put on Mohamud’s govermnent are dashed and the credibility of the president himself is seriously damaged if not destroyed.

Daahir Sheikh

Daahir Sheikh is Somalia politcal analyst

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