By Ebi Kesiena
Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, announced on Monday that he was suspending Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, who called the move unconstitutional, intensifying a row over long-delayed elections in the troubled Horn of Africa nation.
The announcement came a day after the two men sparred over the country’s sluggish electoral process, with Roble accusing the President who is better known as Farmajo, of sabotaging the polls.
Relations between Farmajo and Roble have long been frosty, with the latest development raising fresh fears for Somalia’s stability as it struggles to hold elections and fight a jihadist insurgency.
On Monday, Farmajo’s office said the President had “decided to suspend Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and stop his powers since he was linked with corruption”, accusing him of interfering with an investigation into a land grabbing case.
But Roble hit back, accusing Farmajo of attempting “to take over the office of the Prime Minister by force in a move of violating the constitution and the law of the country”.
“The prime minister… is committed to not being deterred by anyone in fulfilling his national duties in order to lead the country to elections that pave the way for peaceful power transfer,” said the statement released by Roble’s office.
Although reports spoke of a heightened military presence around the prime minister’s office, Roble was still able to enter the premises, a day after Farmajo withdrew his mandate to organise the elections and called for the creation of a new committee to “correct” the shortcomings.
The two men have traded accusations in recent days, with Roble alleging that Farmajo did not want to hold “a credible election”.
Farmajo in turn has accused Roble of trying to influence a probe into a scandal involving army-owned land after the premier sacked the defence minister and replaced him on Sunday.
“The prime minister has pressurised the minister of defence to divert the investigations of the case relating to the grabbed public land,” Monday’s statement by Farmajo’s office said.
