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Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has called for the expulsion of the African Union representative in the country, a move opposed by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. The latter called the decision “illegal”
Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has called for the expulsion of the African Union representative in the country, a move opposed by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. The latter called the decision “illegal”.
The two Somali leaders have regularly clashed in recent months. This has led to a political crisis. The organization of the presidential election expected for more than a year is inordinately delayed. The country, now, is plagued by the Islamist insurgency of the Shebab for more than a decade.
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Mohamed Hussein Roble’s office said in a statement recently said that it was declaring Francisco Madeira persona non grata for engaging in acts inconsistent with his status as a representative of the African Union Commission. It means that he is to leave Somalia within 48 hours. The decision for the issuance of the order was not given. Madeira, a Mozambican diplomat has been the AU Commission head’s special representative in Somalia since 2015.
Hours later, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmajo, objected to the statement. The president, in a statement, said he had not received any complaint about interference in his sovereignty and did not approve of any illegal action against Ambassador Francisco Madeira, Recalling that “Farmajo is the custodian and guarantor of the country’s sovereignty, the presidency statement said he has instructed the foreign minister to convey the Federal Government’s apology to the AU for the illegitimate and reckless decision of an unauthorized department” to do so.
The African Union has a presence in Somalia through a peacekeeping force. This was deployed in 2007 as the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Last week, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to extend the force until the end of 2024.
