US. Ambassador to Somalia ‘considers resigning’ over U.S failure to write off Somalia’s debt

[Suldaanka]

MOGADISHU (HOL) - U.S ambassador to Somalia Donald Yamamoto considers resigning over failure by the Trump administration to prioritise debt relief for Somalia, an influential U.S publication reports.

According to an article appearing in Foreign Policy Wednesday, the ambassador’s efforts to convince the Trump administration to forgive Somalia up to $1 billion dollar debt as part of the debt relief process appeared to have hit a snag.

“While securing debt relief for Somalia has been a policy priority for the United States for years, that plan that could now be derailed because the State Department and Treasury Department didn’t inform lawmakers they should include authorization to write off Somalia’s debt before Congress finalized its spending bills, according to six current and former U.S. officials and congressional aides who spoke to Foreign Policy on the matter,” the artcle reads.

According to the authors of the article- Robbie Gramer, Keith Johnson, the US could write off Somalia’s debt to the US which stands at about $1 billion by essentially having the State Department pay a fraction of the debt back to the Treasury Department on behalf of Somalia, to the tune of about $35 million. 

This, the authors said, requires congressional authorization through spending bills but there seems to have been no communication from the State Department or Treasury to lawmakers to effect the provision before finalizing spending bills.

In effect, the article reads, “U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Donald Yamamoto has privately considered quietly resigning if the U.S. government can’t resolve the issue, according to current and former officials familiar with the matter.”

Somalia’s debt stands at about $4.7 billion in form of arrears from multilateral and bilateral donors. To realise stage one- decision point in the Highly Indebted and Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, Somalia must first clear debts owed to the IMF which amounting to $330 million and that of the World Bank which is nearly $360 million.

This will open pathways for concessional loans as the country seeks international support to let the remaining creditors forfeit their demand from Somalia.

[Suldaanka]

So it looks like Cheeseman will not see the light of the much tooted about "Debt Relief" after all. 

4 years in power and there is no sign of the new Currency, no defeat of Alshabab, no One Person One Vote, No Peace... nothing. In fact, it is much worse than 4 years ago in many respects.

The only thing Cheeseman's apologists can come up is the biometric registration of clan melitia. We are talking about a laptop, a finger print reader and a card printer. 4 years and that is what they can come up with.

 

 

[Suldaanka]

Here is Cheeseman's paid puppets speaking about the failures and dancing around suggestions for extension of Cheeseman's term.

 

[Old_Observer]

Where was Farmaajo? Why all the trips to Addis and Arabs, rather than hire good lobby co. in America or give a cut to some big US official.

Yamamoto way is not good. He is Clinton Cadre. Should have convinced the pentagon to lobby for Somalia if someone was honest.

 

[galbeedi]

Suldaanka,

I do not think this lady is speaking for Farmaajo. Is this how you defend the president and explain his agenda? Is this how she wants to get an extension for Nabad iyo Nolol?

What a failure. 

I think she is either speaking for the prime minister or even for the opposition. She single handedly destroyed the Farmaajo agenda of bringing people from different parts of the country.

She said, " Kursi KIsmaayo iyo Jowhar yaala maa Kaaraan lagu doornaa?, waxaas la iska yeeli maayo".

Furthermore, she said four years ago she went and visited Jowhar five times, but today, due to security no one is able to do that. In other words she indirectly accuses the government for the failure of security in Jowhar.

Is this woman really serious?

Anyway, the election should be as usual by elders electing members of parliament from the regions.

[Suldaanka]

@galbeedi

It is a total failure. She couldn't defend it any other way. So she is asking for an extension by the parliament. 

But that is not possible. Not even in his dreams. Sheikh Sherif wuu dhaartay, jidkii Ethiopia martay, ee **********tii warlordku mareen ayuu marayaa. 

Btw, the wheels are coming off N&N, Khaire is charting his own future. He nolonger uses the N&N tag. He has H&H hiigsi iyo horimar now.

In anycase, Cheeseman is coming home to roost now. With a big L on his forehead. 

[Suldaanka]

1 hour ago, Old_Observer said:

Where was Farmaajo? Why all the trips to Addis and Arabs, rather than hire good lobby co. in America or give a cut to some big US official.

Yamamoto way is not good. He is Clinton Cadre. Should have convinced the pentagon to lobby for Somalia if someone was honest.

 

Yamamoto is kicking himself for this apparent administrative mistake. 

Donald Trump is not going to spend what little political credit he has to throw a lifeline for Cheeseman. The democratics control the House, and they won't let Donald trump anyother chance for spending review. 

[galbeedi]

I never believed the farce called " Dayn Cafin". 

Can you imagine the so called world bank is throwing money left and right in Somalia for all kind of projects, yet they want hundreds of millions from Somalia to paid to them. I said in the beginning , " print the national currency" and deal with  the rest. 

Anyway, this lady had opened the curtain about the real or the imagined difference between Farmaajo and Khayre. It will be a disaster if the sitting premier challenges in election his own president. Ask how that worked out for Ina C/rasjhiid Sharmaarke.

[Suldaanka]

There is no such thing as free lunch. It is little wonder why Norway goes to the extent making up for the arrears to the World Bank on behalf of Somalia. The first time such an arrange ever made. What is being mortgaged here is Somalia's natural resources. 

Cheeseman will leave defeated but the contracts that he signed, behind the curtain, will haunt Mogadishu for years to come. 

[Suldaanka]

15 hours ago, galbeedi said:

Anyway, the election should be as usual by elders electing members of parliament from the regions.

That is the most obvious conclusion. 

But listen to this clueless woman. She absolutely has no clue what she is talking about. 

She puts all her eggs on so called toothless rotten Parliament signing the Election Bill. Even they sign election bill,  it is as good as toilet paper, that is unless the FMS have clear in put into the laws. And with the current toxic political environment which Cheeseman created, it won't be easy to bring all and agree on anything.

The biggest F*** up is about to take place in the next few months.

 

[Old_Observer]

22 hours ago, Suldaanka said:

Yamamoto is kicking himself for this apparent administrative mistake. 

 

Or he/friends missed out on a Biden size cut/commission.

[galbeedi]

14 hours ago, Suldaanka said:

She puts all her eggs on so called toothless rotten Parliament signing the Election Bill.

The parliament is the final decision maker about the election.THey will decide whether we like it or not. That is the law of the land.

THis lady is mixing up things. Her job is technical and logistical, she has no power to decide what type of election takes place. If you can not travel to Jawhar and Balcad or Baydhabo by car, how are you going to manage a fair election and register the people. 

 

Furthermore, you can not have  two types of election. One man one vote within the peaceful regions like Puntland , Cadaado, Dhuusamareeb and Baydhabo and elder caucus in Jubba, Hiiraan  the rest of the country. 

I hope the government will not neglect the current security issue while electionareenig..

[Suldaanka]

7 hours ago, galbeedi said:

The parliament is the final decision maker about the election.THey will decide whether we like it or not. That is the law of the land.

Parliamenku maha mid awood leh ama representative ah. Horta taa si fiican u dhuux oo maskaxda ilaahay ku siiyay ha rogrogto macnaheeda.

So whatever decision it makes, will not effect anything unless it has the full backing of the FMS and their leadership. It is a complete hogwash if you think the Parliament will go alone and make its own decisions.

The Cheeseman disbanded Forum that used to bring all the FMS leadership and FGS, will have to be revived. And it is only then that agreements can be reached. 

I want to see a Forum that will bring Cheeseman and Ahmed Madobe together. The ultimate symbol of defeat for Cheeseman. 

[galbeedi]

2 hours ago, Suldaanka said:

I want to see a Forum that will bring Cheeseman and Ahmed Madobe together. The ultimate symbol of defeat for Cheeseman.

Oh, that is what you like , not what is legal. THe regions might send their delegates us usual , but the national elections issue must be decided by the parliament. THe so called Forum had sidelined the parliament last time around.

The regions will follow the guidelines set by the national government and facilitate their part of selecting members to the parliament.

In Somaliland, the parliament extended their term for  fifth time, adding two more years since 2005. Can you imagine elections postponed for ten years without credible reasons. At least here they select them every four years. If there's a rotten parliament that has lost legitimacy and bought and sold by the ruling party it is the Somaliland parliament. They are no longer political parties parties, but tribes who should be sitting by 4.5

For the last ten years, they never debated or rejected one single item in the budget.That is called runner stamp.

 

 

 

 

[Dhaqaale]

1 hour ago, galbeedi said:

In Somaliland, the parliament extended their term for  fifth time, adding two more years since 2005. Can you imagine elections postponed for ten years without credible reasons.

Joint statement on delays to Somaliland parliamentary and local council elections - GOV.UK

WWW.GOV.UK

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International partners signed a joint statement on delays to parliamentary and local council elections in Somaliland.