The score card is out for President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and (former) premier Hassan Ali Kheyre. He has negated the biggest political milestone Somalia has achieved from 2002 — a road map for the presidential and parliamentary elections that heralded peaceful political transition, unlike in many African nations. Farmajo and Kheyre did join the consultative meeting with the president secretly lobbying his Darod clan states of Jubaland and Puntland to back his term extension. But the rogue federal parliament, backed by Farmajo and his diaspora cronies and oiled by the Qatari petrodollar, declared a no-confidence “utterance” on the PM without voting, parliamentary procedure or even a motion being tabled. The international community must drop its diplomatic niceties and play a more assertive role to save Somalia from plummeting into chaos, mete out punishment on spoilers in parliament and Villa Somalia and ensure peaceful elections are held on time.

Source: Daily Nation July 29, 2020 21:00 UTC