Al-Shabaab to issue Farmajo's 'report card' as term expires

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Al-Qaeda linked group, Al-Shabaab has vowed to issue the 'report card" for President Farmajo's performance as his term in office comes to an end, ahead of elections in the country, which have stagnated due to internal political differences.

Farmajo was first elected in Feb 2017 and his four-year term will expire on February 8, thereafter, he's supposed to seek a fresh mandate from the people of Somalia. Already, Farmajo has expressed interest to defend his seat since there are no term limits for the president of the country.

Through their media wing, Al-Shabaab said it will release a "documentary" explaining Farmajo's failures and successes which would cover his entire tenure. The militants, who have been causing havoc in the country, have an active media wing.

While it's not clear what the team will cover, Al-Shabaab is fighting to topple the fragile UN-backed Somalia administration which is led by Farmajo. Throughout his tenure, the president has been facing criticism from the opposition, who accuse him of "working" with the Al-Shabaab.

But on the contrary, the government has been the biggest casualty of the militant's activities given that they often target senior security officers and government officials along with innocent civilians. The militants often use Improvised Explosive Devices to execute their attacks.

The Somali National Army [SNA] has been launching operations against the militants with the help of the African Union Mission Forces and the US Africa Command. In their previous press conferences, Al-Shabaab has always accused the Somali partners of "illegal" occupation of the country.

Last month, the US Africa Command withdrew troops from Somalia but is still actively involved in fighting the Al-Shabaab militants. Reports indicate that the over 700 troops were repositioned to Kenya and Djibouti where the US has a number of forwarding Operating Bases.

The Al-Shabaab statement comes amid ongoing talks at Dhusamareeb where President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo is trying to reach a consensus with federal states' leadership on the protocols of the upcoming elections. The country was supposed to go to the polls in December last year.

Senate Speaker Abdi Hashi has already accused President Farmajo of being anti-federalist after his efforts to attend the Dhusamareb summit was blocked.

Opposition candidates led by former Presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh had also called for the inclusion of more stakeholders in the ongoing talks.

GAROWE ONLINE