Chairman Jawaari affair, UAE, life, business and Al-shabaab in Mogadishu. A Conversation with an eye witness.

[galbeedi]

Me and small group of local Somalis has sat down last Friday  night  with a local man who just came from Mogadishu. He is one of the most respected members of the Somali community , known with integrity, compassion and dedication . He is a God fearing man who is not a partisan or sectarian on the issues of Somali politics. He is one of those old  Mogadishawi who consider friendship more than their kinship. 

 

He was present when the affairs of chairman Jawaari was flaring up, the UAE dispute and the interruption of the cash at Mogadishu airport.  We asked him the UAE issues, their military activity, the national parliament; the good cop bad image of Farmaajo and Khayre; the regional governments and finally life, peace and business in Mogadishu.

 

The round table: tell us about the parliament and chairman Jawaari.

 

Eye witness: the Somali parliament has ceased to function long time ago. Almost 14 legislation drafted by the government that was given to the parliament for approve , amendment  or change were still sitting at the parliament docket with no debates or approvals. There is a large number of members especially in the Somali senate who could not even read the Somali language.  Men like Muuse Suudi and others who may talk on the microphone entertaining others  all day, but does not  know  or interested to deal with paper  trails or issues that need careful study or investigation. So, Mr. Jawaari allied himself with these people and others to obstruct the agenda of the government, and as the master of manipulator, he succeeded to blockade every thing while smiling.

 

RT: How the chairman Jawaari affair unfolded ?

 

EW: When the motion to depose him came in full force, Jawari  resisted and tried to use procedural maneuvers, but eventually  accepted  his fate and went to see Farmaajo  to discuss his future.  A severance package was proposed for his resignation, and Jawaari agreed to resign.  Farmaajo postponed the parliament meeting to debate the removal of Jawaar from the speakership of the parliament since the later  indicated to resign. Then suddenly from no where Jawaari came back and changed his mind backed by damujadiid, Cumar C/rashiid, the Galmudug boys and the politicians who are connected with UAE.  In this new meeting Jawaari  said , " I want to kick this Khayre guy out of the country (Tigidh in aan u jara ayaan rabaa ninkan oon banaanka u tuuro) Remember that both of them came from Norway, so the idea of of Jawaari saying, I am going to exile him is not an starnage proposal- Bold emphasis are mine . 

 

Then a full force campaign among the two groups started. Those who were backing Jawaari told him to stick around and fight the real fight to the end  until we depose the prime minister and save you.  Among those were Damujadiid, the Galmudug boys (Fiqi, Sallaad, C/shakuur among them), Cumar C/rashiid and other beneficiaries of the UAE money. In fact,  those who took over the parliament were  UAE trained soldiers and local militia. Some of the opposition members  were wiling to go all the way to the  end up cause a  fire fight .The Galmudug community and the business leaders  both rejected the idea staging violence in the capital for fear  destruction and losing  their business and wealth.  Also,  the Turkish government told former president Hassan Sheikh to stay out the issues as a former president and allow the current leaders to do their task ( Folks, for the first time  in decades , there are business elite and concerned citizens who are against anarchy and violence In  Mogadishu which is good news for all--Bold emphasis are from Galbeedi).

 

 The next day the army chief brought heavy gun and the occupying militia were told explicitly to move out or get eliminated. The security forces knew the names of some those  armed men, and eventually they were evacuated and  slipped from the parliament area one by one before they got killed ( Waxay noqotay nimankii rabay in ay parlamaanka haystaanin  la badbaadiyo oo I qariyaay meesha ka dhacdo). After that , Jawaari had accepted to resign and said , "I will announce my resignation at the next session of the parliament". Since he changed his mind many times, he was told to read his resignation letter not inside parliament but here in public with the full view of the media and the president , and  he did. At the end the president honored him with dinner. I am not sure if he got the package he was promised earlier.

 

RT:How do the local people feel about these confrontations?

 

EW:People do not like these games, yet they could tolerate loud opposition or some form of opposition, but they draw the  red line when it came to armed  people or militia taking part to cause violence.

 

 RT: Tell us about the UAE trained military force.

 

EW: They had two bases,  one in Abdulaziz district and one near the "Trabuunka". Their soldiers were  trained by American owned Black Water contractors and  are well trained and equipped force that is more powerful than the Somali army itself. They drive through the city with their modern and new cars. There were weekly confrontations between them and the Somali forces.

 

RT: we used to see in the news clips about local confrontation between contingents of the Somali army, what was that all about?

 

EW: Actually these weekly confrontations were between the UAE army and the Somali army. For example , we were driving near the army hospital were Farmaajo was visiting and as  usual  all the roads leading to that area was closed and all traffic was diverted to one single lane going one  direction. Suddenly, the UAE army showed up , honking and trying tp pass. Those soldiers manning the checkpoints refused them to pass, and suddenly the gun fire started. We all took a cover and run away. Some times each group will call reinforcements and big guns might be used. Since their disbandment those gun clashed which became familiar in Mogadishu went to silence.

 

RT: The UAE  is  acting like state within the Somali state with their own armies. How could this happen?, How a foreign nation was allowed to keep the Somali army they trained for the host country.

 

EW: They signed the deal with former president Hassan Shiekh to train, equip and pay them. They used to take part some local operations to pacify the city and might have taken other operations. Their soldiers are drown from connections with politicians. A parliament member might send 20 or 30 of his kin, an influential  politician may send some of family members, an opposition leader might recruit some of his men to join and so on , which automatically makes these  a political army controlled by UAE. The Turkish usually train the Somali soldiers and when they finish their training , they transfer the to the Somali army leadership and  are distributed with different units with their equipment.

 

Somalis did not realize but, the UAE army was capable of taking over the city of Mogadishu. The UAE has mercenary army in eastern Libya trained and paid them (General Khalifa Hafter of Bengazi is the commander of these armies and if doesn't get his way want to separate eastern Libya , so does the UAE trained army in Aden who want to form South Yemen again (just like our boys in the North West--bold emphasis are mine). The people of Mogadishu believe that if that $10 million dollars caught at the airport arrived ten days airliner, things would have been much different with full blown parliamentary crises which could have led  both military and political confrontation that would have done great damage to both the current government and Somalia in general.

 

Some people believe that  the UAE trained soldiers were not just intended for Somalia,  but to be deployed outside the country.  The gulf nation has very small population. With oil and business wealth almost every citizen becomes an elite and aristocrat that is well educated  which makes difficult to find an army to defend that vast geopolitical arena they have engaged. They wanted probably to train and reach around 10,000 and take them to UAE. By the way, they are not the only country  who want Somali soldiers, Qatar want to take and train Somali soldiers for their own defence. They got the money but we got the land and the people.

 

Another issues with UAE is the future economic growth of Africa. The only place that has huge potential for raw material and economic growth is Africa. Big and  influential cities are rising and trade routes would go through the Somali territories. The world is not a back water anymore and those sky scrappers in Dubai could be built anywhere. On that note, UAE knows that they can not stop the growth and business development of the region and Africa, but they are trying to delay these developments for another ten or twenty years through wars, fragmentation and political instability.

 

RT: After the end of the crises, how the Somali people in  general feel about UAE?

 

EW: The Somali people In Mogadishu doesn't want to deal to not only UAE but the Arab states in general. Their antipathy to the gulf , Saudis and others is huge. Even the so called " Wadaado" who used to have both spiritual and business deals  with the Saudis feel very differently. When  I went there few years ago most of the mosques were run by the Saudis and their allies, but now, suddenly a huge shift has taken place.

 

On the other hand,  many  Somalis want to disband their government and replace with a Turkish run government. When you go to the port to take your freight from the port authority and the customs they will give you the necessary receipt and you proceed with another office with a cashier. After you paid the fees  you will receive a pass that indicates what time to take your freight. If you do not show up the proscribed time , a delay fee will be added. Things are running  smoothly both at the port and the airport.

 

RT: how do you know the Wahabi mosques from the others"

 

EW: Well, the traditional Somali mosques usually supplicate at the end of every  prayer  ( Salaada ka dib waa laga duceeyaa). I did visit one of those run by the Saudis and all I found was couple of youths and others. There is a big shift.

 

RT: Tell us about government institutions and how they operate?

 

EW: The 4.5 formula  does not only work  in the parliament, but has touched every  major government agency and the regional government of Mogadishu. If a qualified and educated person want to be appointed to certain directorship or management position, the first criteria he must pass is if some of his subclass are also employed to that or similar agency. His own clan will say that his sub clan already have two people in higher position or in other agency in different ministry , and they would argue that their clan must fil that position. There is a constant complaining to the president about these matters by clans and their politicians.

 

RT: How is the office of the president and the prime minister operate?, is there certain bad cop good cop attitude where Khayre is the bad cop acting tough?

 

EW: The office of the prime minister operates as a professional and the people who work there are from different walks of life. He makes decisions based on it's merit but because of certain cultural issue, certain elders or politicians would like to appeal to Farmaajo.  Farmaajo acts like the  chief of the Somali clans to mediate and do the necessary compromises, and that is were the so called 4.5 thing takes place. Yet, the biggest institutional difference between Farmaajo and Hassan  Sheikh is that there is no chance to get any money  from  the office of the president. Unlike his predecessor, he can not go to he bank and write you  a cheque or give cash to anybody. If you are lucky enough to get to his office, you will nt get any dollar from the president. All expenses from the minsters and government operation  follow through the finance ministry and invoiced to the bank.  Those who get used to get ready cash are not happy, but the financial system is becoming very transparent.

 

RT: despite all the optimism you are talking about , the government does not even control the whole city of Mogadishu which is closed with check points. What can you say about those failures?.

 

EW: To be frank and honest , despite the bombings and other security issues, Mogadishu and Puntland are the only places were a functioning system exists in Somalia(He means south central Somalia and not including Somaliland). The new soldiers manning the check points are becoming professionals, there are 24 hour presence in the intersections and entry points of the city. Dinner is brought to the soldiers at night in their check points. The public is largely cooperating , and the soldier in the street gives orders and no one can refuse or question. People naturally  afraid from the soldiers. It is the local police which are corrupt who are dealing and wheeling , but most of these soldiers are direct .

 

RT: how much the soldiers get paid.

 

EW: I heard that between $200-300 dollars. By the way, they ride all public transit vehicles for free including the tri cycle called Bajaaj.

 

RT: The Bajaaj thing must dominate the streets of the capital.

 

EW: of couse. Hard working young men buy them though loans. The cycle costs three thousand dollars. They save ten dollars a day and pay $300 a month, and within ten months the finish the payments. It employs thousands of people. They pay the capital region government taxes and are licensed. Those who buy their Bajaaj through  money sent from the diaspora generally do not work hard, and only come to drive at nights to earn few dollars.

 

RT: You mention that Mogadishu is where institutional  building is taking shape,  and to some extend Puntland , where a functioning system is in place, how about other regional governments?

 

EW:  The other regional governments  exist in name only. The whole South West government are in Mogadishu, both ministers and their parliament live in Mogadishu hotels or in the city. The rest of the government is carried in a bag by Shariif Hassan. In Jubba, almost all those who were opposing or unhappy about Ahmed Modoobe has left Kismaayo and relocated to Mogadishu. All the Harti  groups the Sheikh community and everyone else had  left, and the next battle might be between the family clans of Ahmed Madoobe.

 

Ahmed Madoobe himself is not happy about the Kenyans and  what is going on in KIsmaayo. The Kenyans are taking almost 70% of the revenues from  the port and control the charcoal trade. You ca not venture 4 km outside the city were Al-Shabaab is the dominant force in country side just like outside of Mogadishu in Afgooye.

 

There is no functioning  system in Hir-Shabeele and Galmudug. The only good news from those regions is people are  allowed to talk freely  and debate the issues including changing the leader.

 

RT: It seems the so called regional government thing is going down both politically and institutionally and economically, what is the main force behind their decline and disappearance?

 

EW: It was the foreign countries and especially the neighboring countries who gave them a false image of themselves, and gave them a platform  in order to weaken the national government. They do not have the respect and admiration of the people they are ruling and do not improve anything in their regions, and the only way to be relavant is to project a false image through Ethiopia and others ( Madaxweynaha degaan heblaayo oo Addis Lagu soo dhaweeyey). Due to the work of the government, the UN envoy , and especially the British government, the influence of the neighbors were reduced dramatically, although Kenya is still trying to be relevant.

 

RT: isn't Mikael Keating the guy who goes to the UNSC and bears always bad news from Somalia?

 

EW: my understanding is he want to stay in Somalia, and the British have a great respect among Somalis. There are European member states who are present in the capital , yet all of them take their cue from the British, and the government is attached to the British. The old colonial Italy is always sending a message to Farmaajo for official invitation but the British want to keep this partnership to themselves.

 

RT" How about all foreign security forces in Halane and other places?

 

EW: There are many security agencies who are here to protect their citizens who are working in Somalia, and everyone has it's own escorts to the bilateral issues they doing in the country.

 

RT: How about the Somalis in Mogadishu? and which region they mostly come from?

 

EW: the people in the central regions had relocated to Mogadishu in large numbers, but also, there are huge numbers from the South West in Mogadishu. Their are large numbers of Somalis from the Sool region in Mogadishu, and the number of people from Hargeisa is growing every day. .There are also large Puntland populations coming from the central regions, and  KIsmaayo . 

 

RT: How about life and cost of living in the capital?

 

EW: The cost of living is moderate with low inflation. You can ride the Bajaaj with one dollar and could eat food in few dollars. There is certainly a disposable income among the people. Foreigners who visit are amazed how things work in this city. WIFI is $50 dollar flat rate, so does the electricity and water which are working 24 hours, all of that service provided by the  private sector. Yet they see bombing and business co-existing side by side.

 

RT: How about the big business boys who refuse taxes and dominate the market.

 

EW: When the finance ministry introduced tariffs, the government earned $42 million dollars in one month, since the law wasn't introduced and passed in the parliament,  it created some problems and the businessmen took advantage. 

 

The big business guys like Hormuud, Dahabshill and others want to dominate every business large or small.  They build houses, they  want to enter the small meat market, chicken hatching, tomato produce market,  and every thing that the small local trader wants to t do. They can revive the huge factories for cement, sugar, clothing and other major industries rather  than concentrate and target  small meagre business that should be left for local traders. Also, through their phone banking millions of dollars are exchanged and sitting in the system. Some estimates put that in every single day $12 million dollars worth of money is going through their system and they are able to tap that static cash and  use that money as they wish. Typically, they are banks who also runs buildings and  their own industries, real state , farming and other businesses without telling anyone and  without following any rules.

 

RT: How about the Somali Shilling or the  money  the government supposed to print at the end of February 2018?

 

EW: The people and business do not want printed money at this juncture for fear of inflation and other issue, especially after what happened  in Somaliland and many other places.

 

RT: Now , let us talk about Al-Shabaab , the most important issue of our time.

 

Folks, stay tuned for the next chapter of the conversation.......... to be continued

 

By te way, last night at a fundraising dinner for our local mosque, I met one of the local Somalis who run the Hawala business. I did ask him about the effects of Dubai business problems for Hawala, and I even encouraged him to relocate for other places. He said,  Dubai makes hundreds of millions of dollars  from Hawala deposits and transactions.. Every deposit we make they take a cut or some kind of fee. The trade volume between Somalia  and Dubai is worth billions and if they start to restrict or stop the trade they will be the losers. Only Iran and few other nations equal the trade and money they make from Somalis.

 

Folks, the guy doesn't seemed to be worried about Dubai stopping Somalis. He believes that it will hurt more the UAE than Somalis.

[Old_Observer]

1 hour ago, galbeedi said:

Due to the work of the government, the UN envoy , and especially the British government, the influence of the neighbors were reduced dramatically, although Kenya is still trying to be relevant.

 

 

These British are amazing. Kicked evrybody else in Mogadishu and now own the place.

 

1 hour ago, galbeedi said:

You mention that Mogadishu is where institutional  building is taking shape,  and to some extend Puntland , where a functioning system is in place, how about other regional governments?

 

EW:  The other regional governments  exist in name only. The whole South West government are in Mogadishu, both ministers and their parliament live in Mogadishu hotels or in the city. The rest of the government is carried in a bag by Shariif Hassan. In Jubba, almost all those who were opposing or unhappy about Ahmed Modoobe has left Kismaayo and relocated to Mogadishu. All the Harti  groups the Sheikh community and everyone else had  left, and the next battle might be between the family clans of Ahmed Madoobe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is some false hope here or wishful thinking. There is nothing more Puntland will demand than regional states. If you listened to an Amhara observer in the 90s in Ethiopia he would have told you same words. He would have said except for Tigray the rest are only on paper. Yet 20 years later even the Somali who was least expected by the Amhara to stay in a state let alone manage it, has become one of the strongest. The Afar nomad who did not have a single school in all of the state, is now self governing, with educated part of the population and very strong autonomous region.

The Oromo that did not exist then is now strongest region.

 

 

 

 

 

[Old_Observer]

43 minutes ago, Old_Observer said:

The rest of the government is carried in a bag by Shariif Hassan.

This is derogatory. To be expected from someone who wants nothing other than unitary government run from Mogadishu, but as you put it in your question, one who cannot control even Mugadisho. It means there is same discussions and arguments in Mogadishu as there were in Addis Ababab 20 years ago.

Of course those in Mugadishu would do what they can for HiirShebele or other regions not to be strong since they will take the 4.5 and be the decision makers rather than those of their kins in Mogadishu. This is pure interest.

[Johnny B]

Best of our "feel good" chitchat

[galbeedi]

We report . you decide.

[Old_Observer]

1 hour ago, galbeedi said:

We report . you decide.

Sorry to disappoint you my friend, but this statement/slogan is already taken, unless you think the man is Oromo by heritage and thus close to you. lol His name is Beniam Kebede and his news outfit is ehtiopiafirst.

Thank you BTW very informative and stating honnestly it is an opinion of an individual.

Advice him to be economical on his views about regions. And come down to reality about Mogadishu.

 

[Peace Action]

"The office of the prime minister operates as a professional and the people who work there are from different walks of life. He makes decisions based on it's merit but because of certain cultural issue, certain elders or politicians would like to appeal to Farmaajo.  Farmaajo acts like the  chief of the Somali clans to mediate and do the necessary compromises, and that is were the so called 4.5 thing takes place. Yet, the biggest institutional difference between Farmaajo and Hassan  Sheikh is that there is no chance to get any money  from  the office of the president. Unlike his predecessor, he can not go to he bank and write you  a cheque or give cash to anybody. If you are lucky enough to get to his office, you will nt get any dollar from the president. All expenses from the minsters and government operation  follow through the finance ministry and invoiced to the bank.  Those who get used to get ready cash are not happy, but the financial system is becoming very transparent."

This confirms there is less corruption in the FG and if they continue we shall expect more progress. 

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Galbeedi, we knew this and more, though. Soomaaliya hore ee u socotaa, that is why Hibo Nuura, Farxaan Xiddig iyo Nakruuma prefer to live in Muqdisho now than in Mareykanka, Ingiriiska iyo Kanada respectively. Meesha waxee arkeen inay soo iftiimeyso. I really hope you will check it soon yourself.

[Holac]

Good report Galbeedi. 

[maakhiri1]

Great report, I really appreciate, thanks for taking time to write it--keep it coming

[maakhiri1]

I knew UAE had a big plan, and now their plans disturbed, they wanted to take over the country.

UAE said directly to a minister who resisted and objected to their ideas,  Somalis can be bought like &^T&%^$^$, he could not believe their audacity.  Some leaders gave them this impression.

[Old_Observer]

13 hours ago, maakhiri1 said:

Somalis can be bought like &^T&%^$^$, he could not believe their audacity.  Some leaders gave them this impression.

Their audacity is on them, it shows how a Bedew behaves, no politness, unpolished, uncultured.

As some Somali giving that impression, I do not agree. Even in America is the same, pay a lobyist who was high official year before and you get what you want. Every politician has price and since banking systems are so not autonolous by country, its even known among the big shots.

You can even buy a general to manufacture war for you, with empires. And so you can buy a senator in America or in Mogadishu. UAE should know this more than others since UAE only instrument of influence is money.