Feud between Somalia’s President and PM Rooble deepens over new security minister

A power tussle between Somalia’s President Mohamed Farmaajo and Prime Minister Mohamed Roble deepened as the country’s new security minister, Abdullahi Mohamed Nur, took office on Thursday.

The development came after Roble fired internal security minister Hassan Hundubey Jimale on Wednesday in order to “rivatilize” the ministry.
However, President Farmaajo later announced that the prime minister has no powers to make such a decision.
“Based on Article 90, point (e) of the Provisional Constitution, the powers of the president include ‘the firing of the ministers, state ministers and the deputy ministers upon proposal from the prime minister,’” Farmaajo’s statement said.

Like the president, Somalia’s Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Mursal Abdirahman termed the appointment unconstitutional, saying the swearing-in of the new security minister is unconstitutional as Roble did not get parliament’s approval.

The escalating rift between the top political leaders has caught the attention of foreign missions amid heightened political tensions in the country. Earlier, Foreign missions and the UN in a joint statement on Wednesday called on the two leaders to resolve their differences, saying the rift could derail the ongoing election process.
“We urge Somali leaders to de-escalate the political confrontation surrounding this investigation and, in particular, avoid any actions that could lead to violence,” said the statement in part.
Currently, the country is struggling to organize an election that has been delayed due to the internal wrangle coupled with bitter succession woes. Although a number of states have held presidential polls, the Lower House elections are yet to kick off.