Gathering Dark Clouds

By Mohamed Ali Arkow
Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Some of you may remember my article after the QALBI DHAGAX debacle: A GLOOMY POLITICAL CLOUD OVER SOMALIA. I concluded my article with hope that “I see Farmaajo redeeming himself, captivating the masses and uniting the country”. It was a hope based on my BWT (beautiful wishful thinking: referring to an earlier article). Before Farmaajo appeared in the scene, I was flying high with my BWT reinvigorated by ERDOGAN LANDING. With Erdogan, I saw my country out of isolation with a reliable, powerful Muslim country. When Qalbi Dhagax was handed over to Ethiopia, my BWT helped me to insulate myself from feeling of distrust and betrayal, and I took the whole episode as an unfortunate temporary hiccup. From my vocabulary tool box, I selected words and phrases such as inexperience, bad advice, naivete’ and bad judgment.

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After almost two years of Farmaajo administration, the country is more divided than before, Ethiopian troops are used to arrest, maim and kill Somali citizens, our relationship with Turkey is deteriorating, and my BWT is under serious stress. Farmaajo and his Prime Minister failed to understand that governance is about shared stewardship and responsibility, and that a parliamentary system with deliberation and debate as its modus operandi is of paramount importance for the credibility of the political system, and consequently our NATIONAL COMEBACK. This administration created an unnecessary national turmoil by waging coup against the former chairman of the National Assembly (Mohamed Osman Jawari), undermining the authority of the present chairman (Mohamed Mursal), using Ethiopian troops to arrest Mr. Mukhtar Robow, and killing peaceful demonstrators in Baidoa. In addition to all these, the administration failed to create a framework for a workable cooperation between the federal government and the regional states. In contrast, the President and the Prime Minister are very comfortable with working closely with Ethiopia and Eritrea.

One mind-boggling question is this: WHY IS OUR GOVERNMENT UNDERMINING RELATIONSHIP WITH TURKEY? In the case of Jamal Khashoggi killing, they sided with Saudi Arabia; why? I CAN THINK OF THE RIYAL IN RIYAD. This has a serious implication for our long-term national security or, I may say, our national survival.

Mohamed Ali Arkow
Email: [email protected]

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