STAND-OFF: Farmaajo, Roble face off again over NISA boss

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Outgoing president Mohamed Farmaajo and PM Mohamed Roble are once again at loggerheads as each side seeks to exercise power on the fate of NISA boss Fahad Yasin.

Roble issued a firing letter Sunday night ‘relieving’ Yasin of his job few hours after the embattled intelligence director told off the PM and insisted, he can only share information regarding the death of female spy agent Ikran Tahlil.

Roble accused Yasin of political partisanship, infringing on human rights and right to life placing him as a suspect in the death of Ikran.

In Yasin’s place, Roble brought in former Prisons boss Brigadier General Bashir Mohamed Jama aka Bashir Goobe. But in a sharp rejoinder, Farmaajo rubbished the PM’s directive and ordered Yasin to remain in office.

“The commander of the security agency and the national intelligence officer Mr. Fahad Yaasin Haji Daahir will continue leading the peace and intelligence of the nation, according to the constitution and the circular of the president,” a statement from Villa Somalia read in part.

Farmaajo instead told Roble to concentrate on preparing and holding of elections.

The tit-for-tat fights between the two leaders will likely render irrelevant the quest for justice over the supposed death of Ikran. NISA said Al-Shabaab killed her but the militant group denied putting the intelligence agency in a tight spot.

Meanwhile the Council of Presidential Candidates (CPC) has welcomed the sacking of noting it was ‘the beginning of the restoration of the institution’s reputation and public trust.” The Council also lashed at Farmaajo’s move to retain Yasin terming an affront to justice for Ikran’s family and an effort to ‘to undermine the security of the country and the elections.’