Somalia: Jubaland condemns AU envoy's remarks at UN meeting over recent political deal

KISMAYO, Somalia - Special representative for African Union Mission in Somalia Fransisco Madeira has yet again been dragged to internal political squabbles in Somalia, barely a week after opposition parties called for his ouster, with Jubaland state now accusing him of "sabotage".

In a rare statement on Monday, Jubaland state cited Madeira's speech at the United Nations Security Council where he termed a recently signed political deal between regional leader Ahmed Madobe and his rivals as "clan cohabitation", a remark which the state now calls offensive.

The remarks, Jubaland said, is a recipe to undermining "local efforts of peacebuilding to clannism", adding that "this will undermine genuine reconciliation process and promoting clannism and deterioration of security".

At Nairobi last month, Madobe signed the deal which was a culmination of political intrigues that had literally crippled development in the state. Since August 2019 after local polls, Madobe had failed to constitute a government due to political squabbles.

Both Abdirizak Hidig, Abdinasir Serar, and Dahir Ahmed Sheikh agreed to recognize Madobe's victory and in return, the Jubaland leader is to reciprocate by forming a government of national unity besides officially retiring from local politics when his second term ends.

Despite the fact that several international partners acknowledged the efforts, Madeira, a Mozambique national, told the UN that a lot needs to be done for the sake of long-lasting solutions for a stable Jubaland and Somalia at large.

“In Jubbaland state, we take note of recent developments that saw Jubbaland leader and Ogaden opposition figures reach a settlement that led to mutual recognition and cohabitation,” he said in reference to the clan of the four political bigwigs.

But the well-intended remarks, Jubaland protested, could refuel hatred in a state that plays home to dozens of clans, arguing that politicizing the clan arrangements amounts to unnecessary political interference by the AU chief in Somalia.

"The region has enjoyed inclusive clan power which has build trust from among international partners. We wish to encourage him to embrace it, support implementation and follow-up steps," read the statement.

"Clan is an extremely sensitive matter due to the role it played in the recent history of destruction and devastation and its mention by high caliber organizations like AU gives the perception of targeted political interference which has far-reaching consequences for the region and the country."

Last week, the opposition team under the stewardship of former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed dismissed Madeira as "incompetent" and called for his "immediate" replacement for the sake of salvaging the "deteriorating" situation.

Among others, the opposition bigwigs accused the envoy of taking political positions on Somalia's internal affairs, adding that he worked closely with the federal government under President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo to "manipulate" elections in Southwest and Galmadug.

The state insisted that terming resolutions among Jubaland leaders as "clan agreement" was not only "unacceptable" but also "unethical". The envoy, Jubaland added, "should remain neutral to avoid undermining reconciliation efforts".

"Failure to remain neutral can only fuel conflicts and jeopardize the ongoing initiatives of post-conflict rebuilding efforts," added the statement, in a move which could yet again force the African Union to intervene and mediate between the two parties.

For months now, Jubaland has been at loggerheads with the federal government, a move which is said to have precipitated deployment of Somali National Army [SNA] troops to Gedo region, a decision which Madobe insists that is a "sinister plot to have me dethroned".

The SNA troops are said to be getting back up from Ethiopian non-AMISOM troops, leading to outbursts from many international partners who insist that the actions could pave the way for Al-Shabaab resurgence. Already, the SNA troops have clashed with Jubaland regional forces.

"African Union should not meddle into domestic politics in Somalia. AU should remain neutral between political groups otherwise they will undermine the fragile stability," said renowned Turkish physician Dr. Kani Torun, in support of Jubaland's recent statement.

GAROWE ONLINE