One of the unfortunate events in recent Somali politics is the sabotage of the parliament, the presidency and other state institutions vital to Somalia’s sovereignty.
The main reason that human societies make rules and institutions is to protect their communities from lawlessness and injustice which can lead to the law of the jungle where the strong survive and the weak are wiped out.
In Somalia, since some opposition leaders declared their clan superior over the state institutions by delegitimizing the presidency, the government and the parliament – three foundations of our statehood, sovereignty and unity – cracks have appeared within the state system itself questioning government officials’ faith in our constitution.
When we see Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble reacting hastily to defuse tensions without paying attention to pre-established procedures and rules, when we see army officers following their clan leaders, police officers deserting their outposts, mayors joining militias, former presidents and government officials and some current MPs threatening the total collapse of a state that’s still rebuilding itself just to topple the president-elect, then we realize Somalia has a long way to go to restore hope to a traumatized population.
New to Somali politics, Mr. Roble unilateral action to bypass the electoral law passed by the Parliament on April 22nd and signed by the President on the 23rd had alarmed many Somalis who are still wondering who is the PM accountable for, his clan or the Somali nation?
One day after he showed his total disconnection from the main state institutions, he invited the same individuals who were calling their clan to rise up and arm themselves to overthrow the government by force. The friendly atmosphere, the smiles, the hugs in front of the camera do not inspire confidence to thousand of people affected by recent militias’ attacks led by these individuals.
Among the group the PM met on April 28th, there were progressive leaders like Ahmed Karie Qoorqoor and Ali Hussein Gudlawe, respectively presidents of Galmudug and Hirshabelle regional states, known to be genuine in their search for a peaceful settlement.
There were also individuals like Hassan Sheikh Mahamud, the previous president of Somalia, Hassan Ali Khaire, the previous PM who were ousted by the Parliament, and Abdirahman Abdishakur, known to bad-mouth the government at every turn since he delivered the Somali Sea to Kenya in 2009.
These three individuals have clearly demonstrated their repugnance towards any kind of public order and dialogue. Their calls to divide the army and the police along clan lines, to pit citizens against each other, to place militias in populated areas and fire on unarmed civilians, security forces and government establishments are undoubtedly seditious acts that must be referred to the judiciary.
Any leniency towards these criminals would undermine the nation’s confidence in government leadership, security and the justice system and ultimately lead to more tension. The Somali nation, and in particular Mogadishu residents, have long been abused by warlords and the trauma is still there. Giving in to wannabe warlords would destroy this government’s hard-earned trust.
Prime Minister Roble should make amend and apologize to the nation as a whole, but especially to the families who have lost their loved ones because of these senseless attacks by militias opposed to direct elections and to the people who have been displaced and lost access to their homes and livelihoods. A little empathy would go a long way.
He should also apologize to the army and police who died in line of duty defending the nation against these treacherous militias. Any attempt to appease the same people who refused to take the PM invitation for dialogue after February 19th unrest and chose violence instead will only demoralized our security forces.
Somalia needs peace and order but not at the expense of the rule of law. Hasty decisions in this very sensitive time have to be avoided and broad consultation is required to alleviate any misunderstandings.
Finally, Somalia has a parliament whose members represent the broad base needed to lead this nation. This institution is not perfect without the expected universal suffrage, but it is still functional and the only way out of this turbulent period. With this in hand, violence no longer has a place in our society and the actions seen earlier this week must be vigorously fought in speech and in action.
