State leaders mull own army as charges against Mogadishu hold

Federal state leaders meeting in Garowe Sunday dug in into yet another round of battles with the federal government reiterating earlier accusation but this time around suggested far reaching ideas including formation of a federal state army.

The leaders who ‘lost’ one of their own- HirShabelle’s Mohamed Waare to the Federal Government early this month maintained prior stances against Mogadishu amid a widening rift between the two levels of government and political instability in the central regions state of Galmudug.

Waare declared cooperation with the federal government early this month vacating a joint position by the state leaders arrived at in Kismayu early September.

Galmudug leader Ahmed Haaf who was ‘replaced’ yesterday by a faction allied to state assembly speaker Ali Asir in another round of controversial elections Galmudug has been treated to in the months said the federal government was no longer capable of building national security structures to secure the country.

“The current government is not functioning as we know Al-Shabaab collects taxes from Mogadishu particularly from business in Maka al Mukarama and Hamarweyne,” said Haaf. “I would suggest we form internal cooperation of an army forces between the CIC members starting from Galmudug and Puntland as well as Jubbland and South West so that we do not need to depend on SNA (Somali National Army).

The Council for Inter-Governmental Cooperation (CIC) chairman and Puntland president Abdiweli Gaas and his Jubbaland counterpart Ahmed Madobe expressed concerns over possibility of one-vote-one person elections in 2020 noting there was not yet any significant agreement with the federal government on the electoral process.

Gaas also called for completion of the Provisional Constitution and joint efforts with the federal government in fighting the militant group Al-Shabaab.

“It does not seem one man one vote elections will take place in Somalia because the federal government is not preparing and we have not agreed on how these elections will be conducted,” Madobe said.

A communique from a joint meeting between the federal government and the state leaders in June indicated there was an agreement on the electoral model for the 2020 elections.

The leaders spoke during the opening of the conference which is expected to last for about three days.