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New confusion and splits hit the Somali government

20. May 2010

No one knows for sure if Somalia has a government. After a big turmoil in the parliament the Somali president, Sheik Sharif Ahmed, and the former speaker in the parliament. Adan Madobe, announced on May 17 that the Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke was sacked and that the president would soon elect a new PM.

But Sharmarke has refused to withdraw. He claims that the president cannot sack him. It is a decision which must be taken by the parliament. But how the parliament will be able to take any decission is very unclear.

Somali leaders at loggerheads, parliament in disarray

Under this headline Garowe Online wrote May 16:

“Somalia’s transition parliament speaker Sheikh Adan Mohammed Nur Madobe said on Sunday that the current government led by Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharma’arke has failed to garner confidence vote in the parliament.

”Addressing a press conference in Mogadishu, Sheikh Madobe, who seemed upset, urged President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed to appoint a new premier within 30 days because the tenure of the current office holder has expired on February.

“The parliament carried out vote of no confidence on the government and 280 lawmakers voted in against, 30 voted in support and 8 abstained,” he said.

“The government failed in its task, that’s why I ask the President to appoint a new competent prime minister,” he added.

”However, PM Sharma’arke and his backers from the anti-Madobe lot rejected the claims by the speaker, terming the voting as non-existence.

”Earlier on, the parliament sitting which reopened Sunday for the first time since many months was marred by bitter feud between members with some even shouting to their loudest voice in protest against the speaker.”

In fact the noise was so heavy that no one in fact knew what was going on.

From the meeting in the Somali parliament:


(While the special envoi of the UN has welcomed the decision of the president the African Union has asked the Somali government to unite because the internal struggles can harm the interests of the donor countries to go on supporting the “Djibouti Peace Process”.)

But why do the parliamentarians in Somalia act in such un-parliamentarian way?

Possible explanations

“You have to remember most of the transitional government officials are people from the diaspora, who were unemployed in their host countries,” the analyst of Somali affairs Bashir Goth told The Media Line . “Their sole aim of joining the government is to earn as much money as they can. Everyone knows that former transitional government members, including the former Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi, a veterinary teacher before he became prime minister, now owns an expensive property in Nairobi.”

On the same time the minister of finance, Sheik Sharif Aden, is accused as bribing the members of parliament to avoid an investigation put forward from the speaker wing in the parliament about embezzlement.

Under the headline

Ministers accused of state funds embezzlement

Garowe Online among others wrote on 12 May:

“Somali parliamentary oversight and accountability committee has accused Finance Minister Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden and his monetary counterpart Eng. Abdirahman Yarisow of embezzling state funds for political gains.

”Lawmaker Asho Ahmed Abdalla, a member of the committee, said the two ministers misused the grants and government funds collected from the sea port and airport.

“We have sent them (ministers) letters asking for clarifications on the government expenditure but they refused to reply back and that’s why we have released this statement,” said Lawmaker Mohammed Sheikh Ali (Watch) while reading press statement for reporters.

“(President) Sharif and (Prime Minister) Sharma’arke are held responsible for the mismanagement of funds by their ministers, because they are the ones who keep them in the positions and encourage them not respond to our inquiries,” he added.

”Reports indicate that Finance Minister has been secretly disbursing funds to encourage Somali MPs to pressure the resignation of parliament Speaker Sheikh Aden Mohamed “Madobe.

”Several lawmakers have been arguing that the speakers’ tenure had expired and want fresh elections for the position, which Sharif Aden was reportedly eyeing……

”In March 2009, more than $16 million was freezed in Malaysia after it emerged that the account belongs to finance minister. The money was supposed to be transferred to European accounts.”

It is not the first time Sheik Sharif Aden is accused of embezzlement but with this new attempt he add to the general view of the government as a bunch of robbers as well as to the difficulties facing the weak and isolated transitional government.

The “power sharing deal” between the government and a part of Ahlu Sunna Waljame

For months negotiations had taken place between the Somali government and a part of Ahlu Sunna Waljame – originally a part of the Sufi religious sect but which have in a growing extent functioned as rallying point of Ethiopian supported warlords. The most extensive negations among the two parts took place under Ethiopian supervision in Addis Ababa. By the way Sheik Sharif Aden was an important negotiator for the government.

As a consequence of the negotiations a so-called “power sharing deal” was made by the top of the government and a part of Ahlu Sunna Waljame. The deal allowed the warlords fraction of the latter to have access to the profitable positions of the seats as ministers and deputy ministers. (On the other hand the most important part of Ahlu Sunna Waljame in the Galgaduud region has turned the deal down.)

But when you enlarge the posts as ministers for Ahlu Sunna you must on the other hand reduce the minister posts on the side of the government. Important ministers have loosed their jobs as a result of the “power sharing plan”.

One of them is the former states minister for defense, Sheikh Yusuf Mohamed Siad Indha Adde, who served as defense secretary in the opposition until he lost his position as governor of Lower Shabelle to Al Shabab and a coalition of local clans.

The sacking of Siad Indha Adde has already let to a change in the opinions of the former defense minister. To Garowe Online he said “that several Somali government forces with their weapons including some 4,000 machine guns US donated, defected to the insurgent after government failed to pay their salaries.

“Trained Somali government forces with their weapons have joined the insurgents fight us, and this is the work of some members in the government.

“The soldiers are trained to fight so if the government fails to pay them then they will defect to the insurgents.”

To Shabelle Siad Indha Adde said that the lack of money for the government forces has let to defeats in important fighting with the insurgents.

Yusuf Indha Adde has already lost his job. Maybe Sheik Sharif Aden will soon follow him. Photo: STS, August 2005:

Terrorists attacks

On May 1 two bombs exploded in a mosque in the stronghold of the insurgents, Bakara market in Mogadishu. 45 persons in the mosque were killed including a representative for Al Shabab who had held a speak to the believers. Around 100 more were wounded.

All parts in Somalia and in the international society have condemned the terrorist attack. Al Shabab puts the blame of the attacks on two private American security firms working in Somalia: DynCorp, situated near the presidential palace, and BlackWater, situated near the airport.

In another stronghold of Al Shabab – in Kismayo in the southern Somalia – a bomb also exploded in a mosque killing one person.

Pro government news media have expressed concerns that such attacks can only help in the PR for Al Shabab.

Intensified fighting and shelling

The last weeks have also been marked with a sharp increase in the fighting and shelling in Mogadishu. Already before the meeting in the parliament there were hard fighting among the government troops and the African “peacekeepers” on the one side and the armed opposition on the other.

As usual the retaliation attacks from the government and the African troops have mostly hit Bakara market.

But as the insurgents also welcomed the meeting of the parliament by firing mortars at the building the African and government troops answered with very heavy shelling of Bakara market with the lost of dozens of human lives including some shopkeepers. Parts of market went on fire.

The fighting are not over yet:

May 15 Mareeg wrote:

“Hundreds of al Shabab newly, trained fighters have reached the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, witnesses say.

“Officials from al Shabab group said seven hundred fighters who were recently trained in towns in southern Somalia reached the capital to reinforce their fighters fighting in Mogadishu.

“Residents who reside along the road that connects Mogadishu and Afgoye, a town 30 km south of Mogadishu, said they saw hundreds of al Shabab militias armed to the teeth pouring towards the capital.

“Vehicles mounted with anti aircraft machine guns known as technicals or battle wagons were escorting the militias.”

A spokesman for Al Shabab has said that he will ask the militias from Al Shabab to attack the few areas still held by the government.

New money arrives in Mogadishu

Among the many activities finance minister Sheik Sharif Aden has been involved in is also to give out 17 millions of dollars on printing new Somali Shillings.

He seems to be used to this sort of business. When he still was the chairman of the Somali parliament he was accused for being behind the smuggling of false money to Puntland together with the president at that time, Abdullahi Yusuf.

To add new Shillings to all the other which are circulating can only add to the big inflation in Somalia which hit the common population – but stuff the pockets of the importers.

A plane loaded with new printed Somali Shillings has arrived in the airport of Mogadishu. The plan of the finance minister and the government is to use the money for paying its officials and its soldiers.

But the success of the plan will depend on if it will be possible to buy some goods for the new printed money on the markets.

Al Shabab has made it known that the new money cannot be used in the areas under its control – for instance Bakara. Hizbul Islam will also forbid businessmen in the areas they control (also Bakara) to receive the new money and has visited other markets in Mogadishu to warn the businessmen against to receive it.

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