Presidential term lapses: Key developments in President Mohamud’s tenure
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term as the first post transitional government President of Somalia comes to a close today, four years after he was elected President by Parliament in 2012.
But in line with the electoral calendar released August, the President will still be in office until early November albeit with reduced powers when a new President will be sworn in following the October 30 Presidential poll.
Little known in political circles but with a name in academia and civil society, President Mohamud was seen as the man to pull Somalia out of more than two decades of vicious and perilous blood bath occasioned by state collapse.
Four years down the line, President Mohamud’s stay at Villa Somalia is a checkered history. Marked by successes and failures in differing measures, his tenure has been lambasted and praised from across the divide.
Goobjoog News has compiled some of the notable developments, the people of interest and the successes and failures that have defined President Mohamud’s presidency.
The Six Pillars
President Mohamud summed up his manifesto under six items; what he called the Six Pillar policy. The pillars were; Full Stability through supremacy of law and good governance, Economic Recovery, Peace Building, Service Delivery, International Relations and Unity and Integrity through Reconciliation.
Vision 2016
The Vision 2016 Conference was held in Mogadishu from September 2-6 in 2013. The conference was a dialogue towards transition into democracy. The key objective of the conference was to ensure the constitutional review and implementation process, together with the process of transitioning to democratic legitimacy is Somali-owned.
Four key agenda items formed the Vision 2016 strategy: Constitutional Development: Review, Oversight & Implementation, Options on models of Federalism, the Electoral process and Party Politics and Reform and Good governance.
Notable in the strategy was to ensure the completion of constitutional review process and adoption of a new Federal Constitution by December 2015. It also considered the holding of one person one vote in 2016.
The outgoing 9th Parliament however did not complete the Constitutional Review Process and therefore passed the button to the 10th Parliament which is expected to finalise the process by 2018.
One person one vote was also pushed to 2020.
The New Deal Compact for Somalia
Popular known as the New Deal based on the Busan Principles, the state building and economic recovery blue print was validated in September 2013 following national consultations. The New Deal is based on five Peace and State Building Goals (PSGs). They are Inclusive Politics (PSG1), Security (PSG2), Justice (PSG3), Economic Foundations (PSG4), and Revenue and Services (PSG5).
PSG 1 in particular sets timelines for the completion of constitutional review and adoption of the supreme law by December 2016 and universal vote by 2016.
In September 2013, the Somalia New Deal Conference was held in Brussels where donors pledged $2.4 billion towards the realization of the state building and economic blue print.
A post New Deal conference was held between February 22 and 24, 2016 in Turkey.
Counter-terrorism
The Indian Operation:
Billed as one of the most successful operations against Al-Shabaab, the Indian Operation jointly by Amisom, Somali forces and US military wiped Al-Shabaab from key towns. Notable was the killing of Al-Shabaab leader Abdi Ali Godane in September 1, 2014 and subsequently fall of port city of Barawe, one of Al-Shabaab’s remaining stronghold.
Other towns to fall from Al-Shabaab include Marka, Bardhere and other towns in Shabelle and central regions.
Al-Shabaab intelligence leader Tahlil Abdishakur was killed in US airstrike in December 2015 followed by Adan Garar, Al-Shabaab’s senior governing council member in March 2015.
Former Al_Shabaab intelligence chief with a $3 million bounty on his head Zakariye Ismail Ahmed Hirsi surrendered to government forces in Gedo December 2014.
A total of 18 members of Parliament have been killed in terror attacks since 2012.
State Formation Process
Three states: Galmudug, South West and Jubbaland states were formed during President Mohamud’s tenure. Hiiran and Middle Shabelle state whose state formation conference started late last year has had several false starts including the latest one which started September 3, 2016.
Constitutional Review Process and Parliament
The 9th Parliament failed to meet the December 2015 deadline set for adoption of new constitution and has therefore deferred the assignment to the 10th Parliament. It amended Articles 60, 67, 136 and 138 of the constitution.
Since 2012 to date, Parliament passed 21 bills, issued 42 resolutions and passed 9 budgets. The 9th Parliament also approved six contracts by the Federal Government.
Parliament voted in August to extend its term until a new House is elected. Its term ended in August 20, 2016.
International Relations
US-Somalia relations
Somalia re-opened its embassy in Washington in November 18, 2015 after a 24 year hiatus. The US on its part opened the US Mission for Somalia in September 2015. A new US ambassador to Somalia Stephen Schwartz was sworn in June 27, 2016 following Senate approval.
US Secretary of State John Kerry visited Somalia in 2014, the senior most US official to visit the US since the collapse of government in 1991.
The US significantly upped its drone strikes in collaboration with Somali National Army and Amisom while at the same time training Somalia’s elite forces, the Danaab.
Somalia- Turkey
Turkey and Somalia continued warm relations with Turkey over the period with key development projects being launched in the country. Turkish president Reccep Tayip Erdogan visited the country two times in which case he inaugurated the newly Turkish built airport terminal, state of the art Digfer Hospital and the mother and child hospital in Mogadishu.
Turkey supported Somalia in various humanitarian fronts including hosting the humanitarian summit in February 2016. Turkey also announced 2015 it was building a military academy for Somali soldiers.
Somalia expelled Turkish nationals working for institutions associated with the Turkish cleric Fettulah Gulen in July 2016 who was accused of masterminding the July 15, 2016 failed military coup.
President Erdogan opened the Turkish new embassy complex in June 2016 in Mogadishu.
Somalia-Kenya
The two countries have had somewhat frosty relations on a number of occasions. Somalia filed a maritime case against Kenya in August 2014 leading to exchanges between the two countries. The case is coming up for hearing on September 19 this year.
Somalia, Kenya and UNHCR signed a tripartite agreement in 2013 to effect voluntary repatriation of refugees to Somalia.
Kenya announced May 2016 it would close down the Daadaab refugee camp which hosts over 400,000 Somali refugees, a decision it has since rescinded.
Somalia announced September 2016 a ban on the leafy substance, khat from Kenya.
Following the Garissa University terror attack in which 148 people mainly students were killed, Kenya closed down all money transfer companies plunging business into disarray in Somalia. Kenya however lifted the ban on the remittance companies a month later.
Constitutional Implementation
The Independent National Electoral Commission and the Federal Boundaries Commissions were established in 2015.
The Constitutional Court which was supposed to be established immediately after the enactment of the Provisional Constitution in 2012 has not been established yet.
Other key laws since passed:
- Human Rights Commission Act 2016
- Media Act 2015
- Foreign Investment Act 2015
- Labour Act 2015
- Anti-Terrorism Act 2015
International Treaties
Somalia became signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2015
Political Developments
President Mohamud’s term was marked by some of the fiercest political fights which saw parliament on two occasions attempt to impeach him.
He was accused of gross corruption, irregular signing of contracts with foreign oil companies and violation of the constitution.
Notable was the Soma Oil and Gas Holdings Seismic Option Agreement which the UN Monitoring Group for Somalia and Eritrea noted amounted to collusion between the oil explorer and senior government officials.
Soma Oil has since been subject of investigations by the Serious Fraud Office in the UK.
Since 2012, three Prime Ministers have served under President Mohamud some falling out with him bitterly.
Abdi Farah Shirdon was appointed in October 17, 2012 and lasted in office until December 21, 2013 when he was hounded out in a no confidence motion by 184 out of 250 MPs.
Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed came in shortly and within a year in December 6, 2014 a total of 153 MPs voted him out while 80 others voted in his defence.
Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke took charge as PM in December 24, 2014 to date. He was however to present his list of cabinet minister two times after parliament failed to approve the first list.
Corruption
President Mohamud’s administration has severally been accused of gross graft. In 2015 and 2016, Transparency International declared Somalia the most corrupt country in the world alongside North Korea.
Shortly after taking office in 2013, President Mohamud’s administration embarked on recovery of Somalia’s assets frozen abroad. The process was however marred with claims of massive bribery which led to the resignation of central bank governor Yussur Abrar seven days into office.
Subsequent UN reports have pointed to attempts in government to circumvent fiscal process such as use of Central Bank as the official channel for government funds with payments being made through private commercial banks.
The UN in 2015 called for a moratorium on oil contracts citing corruption and lack of transparency in the manner in which the Federal and State governments were signing oil contracts.
In August this year, a senior central bank official disappeared with $530,000 after exchanging genuine dollar notes with fake ones.
Economic Recovery
In June 2015, the IMF announced it had completed its first ever review in 25 years of Somalia’s economy sounding upbeat of its progress. It announced the country’s GDP had risen 3.7 percent during 2014 with a slower growth at 2.7% projected for 2015.
The country’s current account deficit at 2014 stood at $644 million (11.3 percent of GDP) while the external debt as of the same time was estimated at External debt was estimated at US$5.3 billion (93 percent of GDP).
Somaliland Question
Talks between the break away region of Somaliland and Federal Government collapsed several times since the first session under President Mohamud in 2013 in Istanbul Turkey. Subsequent talks in 2014 and 2015 also collapsed owing to differences between the two parties.
Somalia-UN- Amisom
During President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s tenure, the leadership of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia and AMISOM witnessed change of guard.
First UNSOM chief Nicholas Kay was replaced by Michael Keating after serving since its formation in 2013.
Amisom chief Maman Sambo Sidikou was replaced October last year by Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira