Farmaajo yields to pressure but sticks to blame game script

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Somalia’s embattled outgoing pressure has yielded to local and international pressure and accepted a return to talks barely two weeks after signing an illegal Lower House resolution that gave him two more years in office.

In the wake of pockets of violence and displacement of populations in Mogadishu couple with condemnations and threats of sanctions, Prime Minister Mohamed Roble alongside two of Farmaajo’s last allies at the regional level jumped ship Tuesday leaving Farmaajo sailing alone.

But by Tuesday evening, the man who walked into office ‘triumphantly’ four years ago was now an isolated, desolate and rejected leader living on false hope amid simmering cheerleading from close henchmen at Villa Somalia.

“I have decided to appear before the members of the House of the People of the Federal Parliament on Saturday to gain their endorsement for the electoral process that as agreed upon between the Federal Government, the Heads of the Federal Member States and the Governor of BRA,” Farmaajo said.

It is worth noting that his administration had declared September 17, 2020 Agreement as a nullity on grounds that it had ‘been superseded by the April 12, resolution passed by the Lower House.”

Galmudug, HirShabelle decamp leaving Farmaajo with one FMS

In building his case for capitulation, Farmaajo stuck to the usual script of blame game pontificating on his administrations ‘commitment’ to elections and dialogue.

“The Federal Government of Somalia has always believed, and still sees dialogue, compromise, negotiation and the return to the discussion table as the only viable options, while honoring the 17 September 2020 agreement and the recommendations of the Baidoa Technical Committee.”

In his preachy statement, Farmaajo went ahead to absolve his administration of any blame and instead directed responsibility for the recent violence in Mogadishu on the opposition.

The UN and various foreign missions in Somalia unequivocally cited the term extension as the reason for the violence.

“We have repeatedly warned that the extension of mandates would lead to a political crisis and undermine peace, stability and security in Somalia,” the foreign missions said in a joint statement Tuesday.

There was no immediate reaction from the international community on Farmaajo’s statement. The EU welcomed PM Roble’s rejection of the term extension bid and a similar view by Galmudug and HirShabelle states.

“The EU praises the courage and sense of concertation by PM Roble and FMS proposing a consensus-based way forward towards fast elections and urge others to follow the path to previous commitments,” EU ambassador to Somalia Nicolas Berlanga said last evening in a tweet.