Farmajo hires a lobbyist firm to help get US support for his extension

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Amid pressure from the international community over his decision to approve the Lower House resolution seeking to extend his term by two years, embattled Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has hired a foreign lobby group in a bid to push for his Washington DC visit.

For the last one week, Farmajo has been under pressure from the international community among them the US to drop his bid for term extension and concentrate on pushing for dialogue for the sake of peace and tranquility.

And Somalia has now retained New Jersey-based lobbying firm LFA Holdings last month to help organize a US visit for outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, according to a new filing with the US Department of Justice. The filing states that LFA is expected to help set up meetings with members of Congress and think tanks, but makes no mention of the executive branch.

“LFA’s work scope includes but is not necessarily limited to show support for a US Congressional Visit,” LFA CEO Luis Aleman wrote in a letter of agreement with Somali Ambassador Ali Sharif Ahmed. “LFA will also help strengthen relations with the private sector for FDI (foreign direct investment) opportunities.”

According to a report published on Foreign Lobby, LFA is to be paid $150,000 for the work, based on Aleman’s individual registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Aleman is the only registered lobbyist on the account.

The letter of agreement is dated March 22, just three days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement calling for Somalia to hold elections “immediately.” Somalia was supposed to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in February, but they have been delayed amid disagreements over the electoral process between the federal government and leaders of the country’s five regional states.

On April 13, Blinken issued another statement, saying the US was “deeply disappointed” by the federal government’s decision to approve a legislative bill that extends the mandates of the president and parliament by two years. President Mohamed’s four-year term officially ended in February.

“Implementation of this bill will pose serious obstacles to dialogue and further undermine peace and security in Somalia,” Blinken said. “It will compel the United States to reevaluate our bilateral relations with the Federal Government of Somalia, to include diplomatic engagement and assistance, and to consider all available tools, including sanctions and visa restrictions, to respond to efforts to undermine peace and stability.”

LFA Holdings and the Embassy of Somalia in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.

A few years ago, Farmajo recanted his US citizenship, a move that was informed by the decision of the US to often question his administration. The US is one of the major financiers of the Horn of Africa nation, which is struggling with stability.

Tibor Nagy, a former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under President Donald Trump, said the Somali president may be casting for new allies in Washington amid deepening skepticism by the Biden administration.

According to him, Farmajo was gifted at appealing to western aid donors but faces experienced Africa hands in the Biden administration, including Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a former assistant secretary of State for African Affairs, and the nominee for that position, former ambassador to Sudan Mary Catherine “Molly” Phee.

“I think that the Somalis recognize that they’re not going to be able to sell their bill of goods to the administration, so why not start with Congress,” Nagy told Foreign Lobby Report. “I can assure you there’s a great deal of cynicism on the part of Somalia on the part of Congress.”

Somalia’s priorities include preserving US foreign aid, which topped $137 million in last year’s budget request, most of it in “peace and security aid” to help combat the threat of Al-Shabab and other extremist groups.

Farmaajo has also spoken out against Trump’s decision last fall to withdraw the 700 or so US troops from the country. The top military commander for US Africa Command, Gen. Stephen Townsend, told a Senate panel on Thursday that the withdrawal had created “new layers of complexity and risk” in the country.

To help improve Somalia’s fortunes in Washington, the embassy has turned to a New Jersey businessman with deep ties to Africa. Aleman’s LinkedIn page lists him as the managing director of Ethiopian Wild Coffee, a specialty import/export company.

Last month, he belatedly disclosed lobbying activities for the embassy of the Democratic the Republic of Congo, including helping to organize meetings for President Felix Tshisekedi during his April 2019 visit to Washington. Aleman told the Department of Justice when he registered as a foreign agent back in March 2019 that the firm’s compensation for the services would take the form of “discussion of ongoing services.”

Somalia only has limited lobbying support beyond LFA, according to a review of lobbying filings.

Abdirahman Abdishakur, the leader of the Wadajir party, has condemned the move, saying the only thing that Farmajo can save from sanctions is to go back to the tent for talks. He told taxpayers that they are part of Farmajo problems in Somalia as their money is being wasted on foreign firms.

GAROWE ONLINE