It is Time for transitional government to avoid more clashes, and think about relocating the capital

[galbeedi]

The wise man of SOL Mr. Che had already said this yesterday:

The government should be one made of technocrats. The current leadership including Farmajo and opposition should be excluded. 

Somaalidu waxay tidhaa war la helaa baa tal la helaa.

AS we speak, members of clan militia occupy very important landmarks in including " Dabka". So far , I didn't hear any lose of life.  This calculated strategy to create chaos in the city might be working. Gangs are firing bullets to sky to scare the public. Few technical are rooming different parts of the city to create a siege. None of the men who caused this chaos are either arrested or eliminated. Others have blockaded main roads with dirt and other materials. The biggest damage of all have been caused by the Khayre led Dayniile group who attacked and occupies " Dabka'" intersection.

Yet, there is no government strategy to defeat the insurgency. As usual,  elders and others are negotiating to end the siege. In Mogadishu , historically, the  HAG elders never succeeded to end any internal tribal chaos. Each one of the is his own  boss (Keligii Suldaan).  Former officers including the former commander of the elite force " Danab" is among those leading the siege in ' Dabka". He mounted his amour at the top of buildings and could create a serious damage.

The young prime minister Farmaajo hired few months ago seems to be incapable of resolving the disgruntled community of Galmudug or HAG in general. I did talk today to a member of Galmudug community who have connections in Mogadishu and he said a large majority of the business community had decided to abandon him due unpopular check points in the city which caused the decline of trade and commerce.  He also said there is genuine fear that Farmaajo might bring foreign army to Mogadishu to subdue his opponents. He said the HG community is more interested in business than power and do not appreciate the new state restrictions. 

While these statements might seem to be the pronouncements of the opposition, many of these people were those who supported Farmaajo before. The astonishing thing is Farmaajo and his reclusive prime minister do not have any strategy to get out of this mess.  Insiders think that Farmaajo and his premier are out of their league or are surrounded by fools and yes men. This Galmudug friend said that no one ever heard of Mr. Rooble before Farmaajo picked him up while there were many well places and experienced people. Hhe said , he chose someone who is probably weaker than Farmaajo in terms of ability.

  It is well  known strategy  in Somalia these days.   leaders  always choose the lesser individual in terms of ability, intellect and capacity. Ahmed Siilaanyo chose C/rahman Zaylici, a small time Borama city councilman who  had never traveled in his life outside of Burco. Muuse Biixi flowed suit and hired him again to be his vice president. In Mogadishu they all flow that same strategy, except C/alaahi Yusuf who chose Cali Geedi, a tough guy who never minced words.

Well , as we speak, we  got two reclusive men in Villa Somalia who can not decide one way or another. Dithering and indecision is one of the weakest characters of any leader.  If you can not defeat your opposition by force then join them in peace and find common ground. A friend of mine from Jubbaland used to say to me : if you have the capacity, defeat us militarily, and since you are weak and can't do that , make a peace ( Waar ama xoog isticmaala oo naga adkaada, hadiise aydaan tabar hayn nala heshiiya, labadaa mid uun soo gala"

 

Farmaajo made the biggest mistake when he chose Khayre who spent  the last three years chasing opposition leaders for foolish reasons. He denied Shariif Ahmed to fly to Hiiraan to  take part the flood relieve effort.  He did it again and refused him and Hassan Sheikh to depart to Kismaayo. He attacked the home of the C/rahman C/shakuur, and others. For what?  He planed to replace Farmaajo  and declare his candidacy just before the deadline. Khayre had traveled all over the region and paved the way for his ultimate crowning. He even told John Bolton , former national security adviser under Trump that he is going to be the next president.

He reassured the UAE about their contract in Bebera, and when the speaker of the parliament Mohamed Jawaari refused to stop the motion to cancel the Bebera agreement, he fired him and replaced  him with Mursal. He assured Uhuru that the maritime issue will be resolved  under his leadership. He communicated with ahmed Madoobe daily , and even C/laahi Dani admitted that the principle person they negotiated was Khayre who poisoned the water between them and Farmaajo. Bothy the police chief and the former commander of Banaadir police are under Khare. He hired clan militia with his deep pockets. 

Farmaajo had opportunity to find a heavy weight prime minister to navigate and clear the minefields created by Khayre. Yet, he decided to chose someone much weaker than himself. Imagine Qoor Qoor as the premier. It could have been different.

 

Yet, despite all these shortcomings, the biggest failure of Farmaajo was to create something bigger than the Mogadishu culture of deep connections among the leadership, clan militia and business.  A large segment of Mogadishu business community doesn't like both the security restrictions and the heavy taxes levied by Farmaajo. He didn't have  time and space to restructure and clean the  clan based military brigades created by Hassan Sheikh and Shariif Ahmed. Some of us found out that the so called military and police still are segregated by clan and most  commanders have their own loyal men who serve them not the state.

Rather than deal with the reality on the ground Farmaajo had tried  to reforms the system without having people on the ground to implement it. He tought Somalis and the people of Mogadishu had learned a lesson and wouldn't go back to tribal rivalry at this stage. yet this town has proved again to be a hot bed for Al-shabaab, clan militia and interprising criminals of all clours.

 

The time has come to rethink about the relocation of the capital. Imagine, if the capital was in Garoowe or Baraawe, no Indhacade would have succeeded to single handily create chaos. Certainly to survival of the Somali state is much bigger than was despite how Mogadishu is important in so many ways.

 

Finally, there is no need to lament. Our friend Che had concluded rightly by observing the landscape. In my opinion, there is only two options:

First, a new power sharing agreement must be reached with the opposition. The opposition must agree and appoint one of their own as premier while Farmaajo is holding the president. In this case, major government buildings and institutions will be guarded by Amisom until the election. I know it is a step backward , but we have no choice now.

Second option is a government by technocrats. Farmaajo will be a lame duck president holding only the position of president while all excetive decisions are transferred to the new premier including the army and the police. The new prime minister will be appointed on the condition that he will not be seeking either the presidents post or premiership for the next government.

 

It is better for Farmaajo to understand how grave the situation is at the moment. The good thing is no Somali blood had been spilled under your watch so far, which is a sign of democracy and mercy for your people. Although some us might spill blood for the survival of the nation. They say, a judge should not cry when he releases the verdict to the murderer.

Anyway,  He had six months before the deadline to extend the term or hold the election . We told him in these pages many times to move fast and make decisions, but he decided to dither and act like nothing is happening.

No Somali president in the last 30 years had received the good will and support Farmaajo has received. He will also became the first president who never came on the stage and address the nation during difficult times. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[galbeedi]

1 hour ago, galbeedi said:

Although some us might spill blood for the survival of the nation

I said "might", you treacherous Kenyan.

In the last four years we supported him , but also criticized him. Too bad he rarely listened to us.

Early 2017, I said clean up Mogadishu. Challenge the oligarchs and the sleeper cells, stop electronic money, introduce national currency and so on.

Yet, unlike you we were not supporting Farmaajo , but the Somali state. Once more the criminal alphabet rebels have clouded. Just like the rebels come together, if we, the better Somalis,  should come together we could easily defeat them .We know they can't fight without the help of colonial powers.

 

[galbeedi]

Waar anigu wadanka oon weli dumin ayaanba ka sooo baxee, ma waxaad ileedahay beesha Jubba ma qaxin miyaa? 

dadkii keenya iyo dhadhaab buuxiyey soomaali oo dhan bay ahaayen.

Mise Randiile ayaad tahay.

 

[Duufaan]

Farmaajo is sturborn. He missed several opportunity. but may have the last chance. So far everything is going the way Mark planned. Qatar seems stopped give  him money and that will make big  difference when others got fresh money. They claiming Deni brought 10 million last time. With that money you can buy a lot of people. This crises presenting him opportunity to use moqdisho civil society.  and make quick decisions about  elections.

[Dhagax-Tuur]

It's time to consider relocating the capital.  This has to be a priority. 

[maakhiri1]

Absolutely Mogadishu does not deserve to be capital, infact it is a national security threat, where MPs or government can not work freely 

Time to leave this sh1t place.

[Dalmar1]

Laugh out loud, now that Farmaajo is about to be expelled (after illegally extending his term to 2 years) you have his supporters now calling for the capital to be moved.

We all know that mucaaradka and Farmaajo are both in the wrong, but farmaajo is more in the wrong because he started all this when he extended his term illegally without consulting with the stakeholders.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Read this thread from 16 years ago.

[Duufaan]

It is not time to talk about capital change, it is time to save the country for the new ruthless global order. The issue is not even mandated expired or election. It is a new foreign invasion without soldiers on the ground. Some people may use that as an excuse like the former president who does not have any chance of reelection. Right now Xamar is Somalia and Somalia is Xamar. That is reality and Xamar must be saved. If xamar is not saved, Somalia is doomed, like Yemen. Or xamar is saved like Tripoli in Libya and Libya was saved. The enemy must lose the war in the ground, there are no other way. The rest of Somalia is dependent on Xamar and when Xamar is couse the rest will be even worst. Somalia is the forge of disaster if the Somali government will not able to manage the security of moqdisho at least the same level of weeks ago.Then political dialog should be the next step. The emirates and Kenyan money is hard of the issue, nothing else to blame.

[Dhagax-Tuur]

^you can't save anything when the mindset that prevails is 'unukaa leh'. This is not a way to run a country or belong to a country for that matter.  You're 100% correct about foreign involvement but it's hard to turn it around when you have that sort of mindset. 

[Holac]

I would support moving the capital to Borama. 

[Che -Guevara]

1 hour ago, Holac said:

I would support moving the capital to Borama. 

Only if Muse, the menace, is gone and our Galbeedi is the mayor.

[maakhiri1]

59 minutes ago, Che -Guevara said:

Only if Muse, the menace, is gone and our Galbeedi is the mayor.

Borame is very beautiful city, but just close to Ethiopia, you just don't place your capital next your arch enemy .

Guys, it takes expert planning to choose location, the same thing many countries did, that moved moved or planning to,  like  Kenya, Pakistan, Egypt , Australia, India .

You take into account not only national security, which Mogadishu make fail now, but also climate, Mps must live in beautiful calm, secure, peaceful,place they can  live, work and make decisions 

[galbeedi]

Both Borama and Garoowe are close to the border with Ethiopia.

Since the capital became a hostage the parliament mps must have courage in debate openly. This is a must.

Here are the cities that could became the next capital"

Baraawe, 

Ceerigaabo

Baidgabo.

I thin Baraawe is the ideal capital.

[Arafaat]

The Capital doesn’t necessarily have to be also the Seat of Government. Many countries with less troubles have re-located their Seat of Governments.  

Funny thing is that African countries tend to move their Seat of Governments away from the coast to the hinterland. Coastal cities are much more suited for trade and tourism. 

I am sure Mogadishu residents must be fed up with politics dominating their daily lives, trade and traffics for that matter. Mogadishu could really flourish as a Capital with Commercial and Touristic centre, without politics polarising  and paralyzing people’s daily lives. It’s common sense.

And last point, one can also develop a new locality for the Seat of Government, it doesn’t have to be an existing City.

And lastly, If small towns as Adado, Dhuusamareeb and Garowe, can be developed in to bustling towns, why not a new Town that becomes the seat of government, preferably in the hinterland and not on the coast. We don’t want the politicians and civil servants to enjoy themselves to much or pre-occupy themselves to much with coastal or ‘makhirian’ games. 
 

Could this work?