Somali PM appoints ministerial committee to investigate his attempted suspension

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The recently attempted ouster of Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has taken a new twist following the decision by the PM to constitute a ministerial committee purposely meant to investigate the unfortunate incident.

On December 27, the outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo claimed to have suspended Roble, accusing him of corrution following his serious disagreement with him over electoral management and matters security in the Horn of Africa nation which is struggling with instability.

Already, former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has asked relevant authorities to take disciplinary actions against members of the Somali National Army [SNA] who are said to have blocked the PM from accessing his offices in Villa Somalia.

In yet another unlikely move, PM Roble formed a five-member ministerial committee on Saturday led by his trusted Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur and powerful security minister Abdullahi Mohamed Nor, a critic of Farmaajo.

Other members in the committee include Abdullahi Abukar Haji, Hassan Shakir, and Lt. General Bashir Goobe, whom he suggested at some point in October to lead the powerful National Intelligence and Security Agency [NISA], leading to his first major differences with Farmaajo.

The team is set to look into the incident in a week, a clear indication that the PM wants the embattled president to be investigated, a move the could fuel the political tension in Somalia.

Farmaajo has been accused of derailing the electoral process in Somalia with the opposition accusing him of staging rigging of the exercise for his own benefit. The outgoing president is keen to control Lower House elections for his own advantage ahead of presidential polls.

The Prime Minister's efforts towards the election and holding NCC have been backed by the United States, the United Nations, European Union among others. The African Union called for immediate dialogue between PM Roble and Farmaajo to end the current political impasse.

GAROWE ONLINE