MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2021) Various nations and international bodies including Russia, the European Union, the United Nations, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, urged Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble on Friday to solve bilateral tensions ahead of the election.
Earlier in the day, Farmajo suspended Roble's executive powers over alleged non-cooperation and separate decision-making regarding the election and state management. The prime minister condemned the move as unlawful.
"We urge Somali leaders to de-escalate the political confrontation surrounding this investigation and, in particular, avoid any actions that could lead to violence. We call on Somalia's leaders to work together to advance the implementation of the 27 May Agreement toward the holding of elections, recognizing the progress made to date by the National Consultative Council under the effective leadership of Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble," a joint statement published on the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia's website reads.
The partners urged Somali political forces to advance the investigation into the disappearance of an intelligence agent who is presumed to have been kidnapped and killed by the militant group al-Shabaab (terrorist entity affiliated with al-Qaeda, both banned in Russia).
The incident lead to the dismissal of Fahad Yasin, chief of the national security agency at Farmajo's decision, which was also opposed by Roble as unconstitutional.
Signatories to the statement, apart from the aforementioned, are the African Union, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Ethiopia, Finland, Germany, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, Ireland, Kenya, Norway, Qatar, and Sweden.
