Somalia's spy chief meets with former president ahead of new PM appointment

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's spy chief held a closed-door meeting with former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Mogadishu on Monday, reports have emerged, in one of the progressive incident which could change fortunes in Somalia's fragile internal politics, who have deteriorated in recent months.

Fahad Yasin, the head of the National Intelligence Security Agency [NISA], Somalia's top investigative organ, is said to have met the immediate former president, who is also a major stakeholder in the Forum for National Parties [FNP], a conglomerate of six opposition outfits which have been putting the current administration on toes.

Multiple sources told Garowe Online that the two political nemesis cum friends held the meeting in Mogadishu on Monday but details about the outcome could not be established immediately. The meeting was exclusively attended by the two leaders, sources added.

Yasin's talks with Mohamud followed the endorsement of the new election deal reached during Dhusamareb III meeting, concluded last Friday by the FNP, which also called for the inclusion of the absent stakeholders and inclusive dialogue before the polls. 

But the meeting comes at the time President Farmajo is consulting widely before choosing a candidate for Prime Minister following the sacking of Hassan Ali Khaire, who was unceremoniously hounded from office by Members of Parliament in one of the most controversial political incident in the history of the Horn of Africa nation.

Khaire was replaced by his deputy Mahdi Mohamed Guled in an acting capacity but a substantive appointment would be made soon. Under the current Provisional constitution, the acting Prime Minister cannot execute certain constitutional matters thus the ongoing lobbying to have a permanent appointment.

Last week, Farmajo reached a pre-election agreement with three federal states and the governor of Banadir. However, the agreement which settled on constituency caucus elections has been subjected to debate given than Puntland and Jubaland boycotted the meeting.

Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, the leader of Wadajir party, argued that the agreement remains "incomplete" without the presence of the two federal states. For it to be fully implemented, he added: "Farmajo must appoint a substantive Prime Minister as soon as possible".

There have been claims that Farmajo could nominate a member of the opposition for the seat as a gesture for reconciliation. Should he pick one, analysts argue, the current administration's tenure could be extended at the expense of a Government of National Unity before elections are held.

Unlike in the past, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his predecessor Sharif Sheikh Ahmed lauded the agreement terming it a "positive step towards the right direction". It's not clear if FNP will be interested to take the PM position for the sake of stability and peace in Somalia.

Fahad Yasin is one of the trusted aides of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and he's been previously at loggerheads with opposition bigwigs over certain government actions. For instance, he was accused of plotting deployment of the military in states that have issues with the federal government.

In December last year, through the help of Qatar, Fahad Yasin planned a meeting which brought together Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud along with President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo. However, the outcome was short-lived after the two former presidents had their flights across the country grounded.

The closed-door meeting could, however, shape Somalia's politics given that Fahad Yasin speaks for the current administration. Somalia is expected to hold indirect elections later on this year but events surrounding pre-election preparations have raised concerns from among members of the international community.

GAROWE ONLINE