Friday, May 21, 2010

UN Envoy’s Wrong Prescription

“Calls from Somali intellectuals  for the UN Envoy to resign and accusations against him should be taken seriously”.
This week, Somalia ’s embattling government edged to collapse after President Sheikh Sharif unilaterally dissolved government, a day after the parliament ousted its speaker, Sheikh Adan Madoobe. The speaker first pursued a no-confidence vote to the government generating a heated discussion in unstable parliament but the session closed with no outcome except bombs fired by Islamist insurgents to disrupt the parliament.

With no vote taken, the speaker announced the government was ousted deepening the political stalemate. Later in the day lawmakers convened in a hotel and sacked the speaker on that his tenure had ended. In a desperate attempt to triumph over his government political disaster before the International Istanbul Summit this week, president Sharif held a press conference with Madobe after apparently persuading him to resign.The speaker said to have stepped down in the interest of the government but would remain as Member of Parliament. In turn, the president “ousted” the government, a move that echoed the murky situation that preceded his cling to power when his predecessor sacked his premier without parliament approval leading into political turmoil that ended up into his resignation. Prime Minister Omar Sharmarke defied the dissolution as unconstitutional.

The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has a history of political infighting. In 2007, United States and Ethiopia pressurized former Prime Minister Ali M. Gedi to resign after feud with president in a bid to rescue the TFG. But a year after Gedi’s resignation, the TFG was in the same turmoil. Former president Abdullahi Yusuf sacked his prime minister, Nur Hassan Hussein who also defied the decision insisting the president could not sack him unless his government lost confidence vote.

Technically, he was right. The transitional charter states in article 44.2 “The President shall appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister and/or dismiss the government if it fails to obtain the required vote of confidence from Parliament”. The same thing applies to Prime Minister Sharmarke.

Sheikh Sharif was ‘elected’ as president in January last year, and shortly appointed Sharmarke as his prime minister. Sharmarke is a former UN official and the son of former president, Abdirashid Sharmarke who was assassinated in 1969. His appointment as PM was greeted with honour because of the reputation of his father. True, the TFG is unpopular because it is seen by many as puppet than a hope of ending two decade of lawlessness. Making Sharmarke scapegoat for the underlying chaos would not help either because his powers are consistently abused by others in Sharif’s circle.

However, what prompted the deadlock remains unclear except massive allegations and rumors that foreign powers were involved in the conflict. These accusations always exist. What is clear though is the partial role of the UN envoy to Somalia, Ahmed Ould Abdallah. Far from international diplomacy, Ould Abdallah backed the decision without looking at the constitutional power of the president, which inarguably questions his neutrality and credibility as peace broker in a country torn apart by civil war. The envoy praised the dissolution, welcomed the speaker’s resignation and recommended him to be included in future government!

Ould Abdallah was appointed as UN General Secretary, Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative for Somalia in 2007 in a reshuffle of UN diplomats in Africa . He succeeded Francois Loseny Fall, who during his reign as an envoy stayed away from meddling in Somalia ’s internal affairs thus dodged the criticisms and resignation calls mounting on his successor.

Beyond his role as UN diplomat, Ould Abdallah sided with individuals in Somali government and allegedly played role in appointing ministers and diplomats. He has been acting as staunch supporter for president Sharif rather than a neutral diplomat.

In the current political turmoil, the envoy’s role was to call for Somali leaders to respect the transitional charter and solve any dispute in accordance to the charter.

President Sharif needs to seek parliamentary support if he tends to sack the prime minister by summing up his failures in a report to the parliament which has the last say on whether Sharmarke can serve as prime minister. This would ensure the supremacy of law over individuals and would safeguard the transitional institutions from threats of power rivalry in the future. From president Sharif’s point of view, firing the prime minister is not a big deal because he had the privilege of appointing him in the first place. But from the side of legality, it is a clear violation of the charter on which the president himself can be impeached. The article 43.2 of the charter stipulates “The President shall be impeached for the violation of the Charter only if a charge against him or her has been preferred to Parliament”.

In modern Somalia, when such political standoff occurs, the side with the international support usually emerges as a winner unless the international community itself is divided. The African Union has adopted neutrality with Peace and Security Commissioner, Ramtane Lamamra calling for Somali leaders to end their dispute peacefully.

The AU decision was remarkable; the president extracted his decision on Thursday, and asked the government to shoulder its responsibilities admitted violation of charter. But the question mark is still on UN envoy, who reacted undiplomatically to exacerbate the standoff. United Nation’s credibility is at stake, they need to act responsibly and review the charge against their political office in Nairobi.

The International Community and regional organisations, including the African Union, IGAD should take a unified position against any violation to the transitional charter to prevent future disputes. They need to empower the law not individuals.

Finally, “Calls from Somali intellectuals  for the UN Envoy to resign and accusations against him should be taken seriously”.


Faysal Abdikarim is Somali jouarnalist
journo20@gmail.com

Somali parliamentarian Congratulate Prime Minister His Win Over Ignorant Wahhabi Hawiye Somali President and Thank him for Standing up for the Constitution.

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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
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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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