Haysom’s 1st take: Unity between FGS and FMS key to progress in Somalia

New UN envoy for Somalia Nicholas Haysom called for unity between the Federal and State governments. Photo: UN

Incoming UN envoy for Somalia Nicholas Haysom has given his first assessment of the situation in Somalia in which he emphasized unity between the Federal and State Governments for any meaningful progress in the Horn of African nation.

Haysom in a UN interview this week said Somalia faced challenges in its post war recovery process which called for unity of purpose among various stakeholders.

“I think Somalia faces in the first instance a test of its ability to establish effective structures of governance,” said Haysom. “That includes some quite difficult hurdles including agreeing on a new constitution, modalities of elections and all of that will presuppose agreement between the moving parts which in this case is the federal government and the member states of Somalia on the nature of the federal framework they want to establish.”

To realise these milestones, the new UN chief observed, ‘requires the Federal States and the Federal Government to work together and have some kind of unity of purpose in regards to governance issue.”

Haysom’s assessment comes ahead of his official start of duty in Mogadishu Monday replacing Michael Keating whose tenure lapsed this month. Haysom, who has been serving as UN envoy for South Sudan and Sudan, added collaborative efforts between the UN and AU were instrumental in winning the war against the militant group A-Shabaab.

“…We would want to see progress in that regard, build and fortify the UN relationship with the African Union which I think is critical for an effective effort to degrade and or bring Al-Shabaab into the mainstream.”

Like his predecessor, Haysom comes to office at a time relations between Mogadishu and federal states are at an all-time low following a move by the latter to cease working relationship with President Mohamed Farmaajo’s administration.

A National Security Council meeting mid this month failed to take place after state leaders declared they would not be attending unless the federal government accedes to its demands which included unequivocal declaration it would not interfere with the state administrations.