Park Strategies and President Farmaajo’s confidence in the firm

Reports this week Somalia was retaining the New York based lobbyist Park Strategies to bolster Somali-US relations especially in the wake of a travel ban by the Trump administration that has seen Somalia lumped with five other countries in a ban list re-affirms President Mohamed Farmaajo’s confidence in the 80 year old Republican Alfonse Marcello D’Amato.

D’Amato, an octogenarian Republican reported to wield significant influence in Washington and currently Trump’s White House having supported his candidacy is taking up a new assignment to ‘provide strategic advice, counsel and advocacy to and on behalf of the Somali Republic in a collaborative effort to improve relations between the Somali Republic and the United States government according to the new contract’. D’Amato is the founder and owner of Park Strategies.

Somalia, according to the contract reported to have been filed with the US Justice Department will cough up $120,000 for a one year contract and a further service expenses not exceeding $36,000. The expenses will include travel, lodging and any other expenses incurred in connection with the consultancy.

Six years ago when President Farmaajo was Prime Minister, Park Strategies owned by D’Amato was in town. Somalia was facing a strong backlash from the Obama administration following the one year extension of the Transitional Federal Government. Farmaajo appended his signature to a similar agreement May 3, 2011 that would see Park Strategies offer image repair consultancy services to Somalia for one year starting March 4, 2011 to March 3, 2012. The US government was opposed to any extensions but lobbysts considered Farmaajo as bringing in ‘honesty and transparency’ to the TFG.

In the contract, Somalia was to pay $20,000 monthly fee to Park Strategies. The Transitional Federal Government was also to reimburse the consultant ‘for reasonable expenses not exceeding $36,000 incurred in connection with the provision of services’.

A press statement March 21, 2011 from the TFG identified four areas it hoped Park Strategies would focus. Advocating for the interests of Somalia in US and Regaining diplomatic relationship between Somalia and US. Others issues it will work on include the way to advocate for the sovereignty and unity of the country and attracting the world to Somalia and making a clamour on the crucial matters that pertains to the Somali public, the government said.

But the contract seem not to have lasted into its logical end. A change of government following the exit of Farmaajo June 9 in light of the Kampala Accord led to a collapse of the contract. In records filed at the Justice Department seen by Goobjoog News, Park Strategies says it only received payment for three months. “Our only receipt of monies from the TFG was for $59,980 (three months of consulting fees minus a $20 wire transfer fee) on June 14, 2011.”

After a change in government, we merely wrote off the rest and terminated the agreement as per above,” said Park Strategies. The contract, Park Strategies noted, was terminated January 1, 2012.

Park Strategies prides itself as a firm with ‘a legacy of anticipating the unanticipated and overcoming all obstacles’. It notes in its website as having been ‘navigating the complex world of public policy and business development on behalf of our clients since 1999’ with expertise in federal and regulatory affairs, state and local affairs and emerging foreign market place among others.

Goobjoog News could not reach the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.