MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki has turned down a request by Somalia’s federal government to replace a newly-appointed special envoy over fear that he might collude with Kenya, whose relations with Mogadishu have soured recently.
It has come after the African Union named Ghana’s former president John Mahama as an especial envoy to mediate a deal between disputing Somali political stakeholders after delayed elections pitted them against each other.
Mogadishu says Mr Mahama owns business companies in Kenya of which the government of Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta could use to influence him, a possible scenario Somalia’s embattled leader Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed – better known as Farmajo fears might hand his opposition more opportunities.
Moussa Faki snubbed the request to fire John Mahama and appoint a new special envoy, officials at the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs have told Somaliguardian on Tuesday.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, two ministerial officials said the federal government also urged the African Union not to send the special envoy to Mogadishu and wait for prime minister Mohamed Hussein Roble’s efforts aimed at ending the political crisis. The second demand too has been rebuffed by Moussa Faki.
The African Union has recently removed head of AMISOM’s political affairs office Babatunde Taiwo from Mr Mahama’s team of advisors over allegations that he is a “paid agent” of Somalia’s National Intelligence Agency and a “notorious broker of confidential information”.
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