Top government officials "forcibly" occupying orphans’ house in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Two senior Somali government officials have been accused of illegally occupying a house belonging to orphans in the capital, Mogadishu, a massive blow to President Farmajo’s efforts to reform the Horn of Africa nation’s justice system.

According to the family, the new Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management for the Federal Government of Somalia Khadija Mohamed Diriye and the second deputy parliament speaker Mahad Abdala Awad have grabbed the building located near police headquarters.

In an interview with Mogadishu-based Goobjoog TV, the son of former police chief Osman Mohamed said they have rented the house to the minister for an amount of $800 per month as her personal residence in a year-long period of between 2013 and 2014.

After paying the first year, she has breached the contract and rejected to make the payments to the children of General Mohamed Abshir Muse, the first Commander-in-chief of the Somali Police Force who passed away in October 25, 2017, in the U.S. at the age of 91.

Diriye, 62, has handed over the building to the deputy parliament speaker who was her husband at the time she was serving as the Minister of Women and Human Rights of Somalia under the stewardship of former Prime Minister, Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed.

The family members who are currently living in Garowe, Puntland state capital, and abroad have presented documents regarding the rent agreement. The orphans said they are powerless and prevented from visiting the house by Diriye and Awad using the power of their office.

The minister rejected to appear in court three times after she was sued at Benadir regional court in 2016, they added: “security guards have denied us access to the house and see the minister and the state-owned radio has been broadcasting the court summons for 15 days”.

“We as citizens of this country kindly request President Farmajo and PM Roble to bring our house back from these officials using us the power of the government,” said Osman, calling for justice. Diriye has been minister of sports and youth in the last government ousted in July 2020.

The minister who was repointed this month by Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and deputy speaker of the Lower House of parliament have not yet commented on the allegations.

The issue of land in Mogadishu is complex, multifaceted, and deserves more attention from the country’s top leaders after the judicial system became ineffective and was widely “engulfed in widespread corruption”.

The seaside capital has for more than two decades been one of the most highly contested cities in the world. Since the collapse of the former central government in early 1991, it has been the object of both military and political struggles almost without interruption.

GAROWE ONLINE