Since the embattled president was elected in February, 2017, the deadlock among the federal government and the peripherals was burgeoning dramatically. The federal member states, especially Puntland and Jubbaland who became brothers in politics several times have frozen their relationship with the federal government by denigrating that, the federal government under Farmajo leadership doesn’t ready to collaborate with the federal member states, while the federal government excoriated these two-states as whippersnappers.
The federal government several times tried to unseat the president of Jubbaland Ahmed Madobe, and supplant one of its staunches, but that option didn’t work. Since then, Jubbaland’s leader becomes the biggest pet-peeve of the incumbent government. After months of political deadlock, the international community meddled Somalia’s internal affairs, and admonished the conflicting parties to negotiate and hammer-out. The newly elected president of Galmudug hosted three meetings in Dhuusamareeb/Samareeb 1,2,3; and finally, the president of the federal government invited the states’ leaders in Mogadishu, in September, 17, last year, where they reached-out a political agreement for the forthcoming election. Unfortunately, right after the meeting, the dichotomy and disagreement between the federal government, and Puntland/Jubbaland states resurrected and re-activated.
Both sides engaged internecine-demonization which jeopardizes and extirpates the agreement which was reached in September, 17 last year.
The federal government deployed military personnel and arsenal in Gedo region which Jubbaland administration expressed as a naked instigation against them. Several times were witnessed a confrontation between the federal government’s forces and Jubbaland troops which both sides lost lives and limb. The federal government accused that, Jubbaland administration is getting a military support surreptitiously from Kenya, thus, is an act of treason, but Jubbaland’s administration rebuffed these accusations.
Anticipation from Dhuusamareeb/Samareeb 4 gathering
After months of skirmish between the federal government and Puntland/Jubbaland, president Farmajo called-out three-day of consultative forum with FMS leaders from 1st to 3rd February in Dhuusamareeb/Samareeb which was top-notch and paramount decision. Obviously, the mandate of the incumbent government will end February, 08 this year, six-day from now on. So far, there is no any Member of Parliament (MP) or senator who has been elected. I shed light on these points: –
- The federal government and the federal member states should agree the aktuelle election conundrum willy-nilly
- The election places should be downsized into one place for the interest of the time
- The incumbent president should offer further concessions, and pull-out the troops from Gedo in order to de-escalate the simmering tension between the newly deployed federal troops in Gedo and Jubbaland forces. Because, the local residents are suffering while the politicians are fiddling and fumbling.
- The incumbent government should be allowed to a technical extension in order to avoid a political vacuum.
- The newly signed Benadir region’s 13 seats in the Upper-House should be re-negotiated or halted as long as it was not part of the September, 17 Agreement.
- Both sides should water down their ephemeral political rhetoric which add insult to the injury
To add all the sums, a final political agreement among them is inevitable and inexorable for the sake of the toddler nation which is leapfrogging and recuperating the legacy of the conflicts, and trying to bootstrap. Leaders shouldn’t serve only to their political mileage, but should serve also for the sake of the posterity. Because, you can’t be a honcho if you are hoodwinking the hoi pollio.
Anwar Abdifatah Bashir. Freelance Journalist and Horn of Africa Geopolitics Analyst.
Email: anwarcade100@gmail.com
