Tuesday November 10, 2020
NAIROBI (HOL) - A leading academic in Somalia has warned the country could descend into another round of civil war unless the Federal Government withdraws its ‘heavy hand’ on the upcoming elections.
Abdi Ismail Samatar, Professor at the University of Minnesota warned Tuesday President Mohamed Farmaajo’s administration was ‘carelessly’ handling sensitive issues about the elections noting it could be a recipe for civil war.
“Villa Somalia and security agents are conniving and these mistakes could result in a civil war,” said Professor Samar. “What’s happening,” the university don and political activist said amounted to “political rape.”
Samatar said President Farmaajo was using the intelligence agency, NISA to further his political ends echoing similar sentiments by political parties and presidential candidates in recent days.
Adding his voice to the debate on selection of the elections committee for Somaliland, Samatar concurred with leading political figures and candidates both of which have demanded that Upper House speaker Abdi Hashi be left to appoint the committee.
He accused deputy prime Minister Mahdi Guled of usurping the authority to dictate names of the committee.
Both Guled and Hashi hail from Somaliland but according to Samatar, Hashi is senior and ‘stayed in Mogadishu throughout the civil war’ earning respect and authority.
Opposition politicians have adversely accused Farmaajo of seeking to solely appoint the committee for Somaliland contrary to an agreement in 2016 which gave lawmakers from the breakaway region the sole responsibility of appointing the committee.