UK Urged to Distance Itself from Incendiary Remarks by the President of Somalia

[Deeq A.]

David Lammy, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Kismaayo (PP News Desk) — The elders of Puntland and Jubaland States of Somalia have addressed an open letter to the Rt Hon David Lammy, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, expressing concerns over partiality by the British government in Somalia’s political affairs. The letter criticises the British Ambassador to Somalia, Mr Michael Nithavrianakis, for allowing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to make politically charged remarks during a birthday celebration for King Charles III at the British Embassy at Halane Compound in  Mogadishu.

President Mohamud reportedly urged the UK government to act against political “spoilers,” a term the elders interpret as a reference to leaders or regions opposing his electoral model. The elders argue that while the ideal of one-person, one-vote elections is commendable, imposing such a system without consensus undermines Somalia’s fragile democratic progress. They warn that branding critics as spoilers risks damaging Somalia’s state-building efforts, which require accountability, equality and inclusivity.

The elders call for the UK to maintain impartiality in its diplomatic role, emphasising that favouring any Somali leader or party would violate the country’s sovereignty. They urge the British government to avoid diplomatic actions that could compromise its reputation in Somalia or impede the nation’s long-standing journey towards stability and democracy.“ If the President of Somalia retains the privilege to make political demands to a superpower in the hope that his critics or political rivals will be branded as spoilers, the state-building initiative in Somalia, to which we, as elders, have contributed significantly, could  begin to unravel” elders wrote.   

  © Puntland Post, 2024

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