Somalia: Farmajo interferes in Gedo election as Roble seeks solution

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Despite giving Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble full responsibility to coordinate elections in the country, outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo seems to be interested in monitoring elections in Gedo, a region in Jubaland where he wants total control.

Jubaland has traditionally opposed Farmajo's policies, at times accusing him of a plot to undermine the region's leadership under the stewardship of President Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe, who Farmajo is keen to topple from the seat.

With Roble now in the region to seek consensus among locals, Farmajo has reportedly taken swift actions believed to be his latest strategy to destabilize Jubaland to his own advantage. Madobe is serving his second term in office.

Former MP Abdullahi Magan told the media in Mogadishu that on Friday, National Intelligence Security Agency [NISA] sleuths blocked him from traveling to Garbaharey, the temporary capital of the volatile Gedo region of Somalia.

According to Bood, NISA agents were being coordinated by Deputy Director Abdullahi Kulane, who works closely with Fahad Yasin, a trusted lieutenant of Farmajo and the current head of NISA. Yasin is persistently accused of using NISA to antagonize critics.

Further, the former MP claimed, state officers blocked local elders were blocked from meeting Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, who arrived in Gedo on Saturday to discuss matters in elections which are scheduled to kick off from July 25.

In his tough-worded message to the press, the former MP accused Fahad Yasin of fueling political instability in the Gedo region, adding that the time has come to have him "stopped for good". Further, he noted, Yasin is a "threat" to the much-anticipated elections.

On several occasions, Bood alleged, leaders from Jubaland have tried to book appointments with Farmajo over the Gedo crisis but "they have often turned down our request". The team also wanted to discuss KDF regular bombings which target innocent civilians.

"Kenya government killed your people," Bood said in relation to KDF activities in Jubaland. The KDF has been pursuing Al-Shabaab militants in Jubaland for almost a decade, but the troops have often been accused of "violation" of human rights.

Before Roble's trip to Jubaland, authorities in Mogadishu dispatched three planes to Garbaharey in Gedo, carrying elders who are friendly to the government. They are said to be part of the wider scheme by Farmajo to win support in Jubaland.

Contrary to this, on Thursday, some anti-Farmajo candidates vying for the Garbaharey DC seat were denied clearance at Adan Adde International Airport by NISA agents believed to be under the authority of Abdullahi Kulani, Deputy Director NISA.

Moments after Roble's arrival, Jubaland police said they had averted a group trying to smuggle weapons into Kismayo by plane which was led by Abdi Ali Rage, election adviser to Farmajo. The advisor was turned away by the authorities.

Rage was reportedly using a fake name to enter the city but police obtained the information and turned him back to Mogadishu, Somalia. He's a close confidant of Farmajo and hails from Jubaland state.

"The aircraft I was traveling in made a return to Mogadishu when the pilot noticed that he can't land at Kismayo airport because of me," said Rage, moments after returning to Mogadishu, but refused to explain his mission to Jubaland.

Roble, who has been hailed by the opposition for being "impartial", was received by an enthusiastic crowd in Garbaharey despite the fact that he had not settled with Jubaland authorities most of the issues surrounding elections in the country.

After holding a brief meeting with locals, he visited Somali National Army [SNA] where he received updates on the fight against Al-Shabaab in Gedo region near the Kenyan border. He thanked the Jubaland administration for hosting him in Kismayo and said he would visit other areas where elections will take place in Somalia.

GAROWE ONLINE