MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s outgoing president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo is “politicizing” the military nearly a week after army mutineers withdrew from the capital Mogadishu after an agreement had been signed to bring an end to tensions over delayed elections, Wadajir opposition party leader Abdirahman Abdishakur has said.
Mr Abdishakur said after the African Union rebuffed his demands that a special envoy – sent to mediate a deal over the current political crisis – be replaced, Farmajo is now exerting efforts in dividing the army and creating unrest.
He called on the prime minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, who had taken over responsibility for elections, to take immediate steps aimed at holding quick polls and saving the country from fresh violence.
It comes days after the African Union snubbed a request by the Somali federal government to delay the arrival of Ghana’s former president John Mahama – who had been named as the body’s special envoy for Somalia – in the capital Mogadishu to give efforts led by the prime minister a chance and complete the process of holding inclusive elections.
There have been reports over the past days that senior commanders leading a faction of the army army opposed to Farmajo’s stay in power after his term ended have refused to take orders from the army chief, citing his close links with the outgoing president.
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