Subject: Abuse of the Selection of Somali Parliamentarians
From: The Traditional leaders Khatumo State of Somalia
Through: Khatumo Forum for Foreign Affairs
CC: Amb. of USA
CCL Amb of UK
CC: Amb. of Turkey
CC: UN Secretary- General Special Rep for Somalia
August 11, 2012
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As you know, your Excellency, Somalia is now approaching the end of the transitional period. In line with the provisions of the Roadmap for Somalia, the primary responsibility for what to replace the transitional set up was entrusted to proven Somali traditional leaders assembled for this purpose in Mogadishu representing their respective clans
The first task of the assembled traditional leaders was, inter alia, to select the delegates of the National Constituent Assembly, deliberate on the draft constitution, and then adopt it once supported by majority vote. Their second task was to select the allotted members of parliament based on the 4.5 classifications of Somali clans in Somalia. A committee of arbitration to mediate inter and intra clans disputes was also put in place. This process that was assigned only to the clan traditional elders assembled in Mogadishu was supposed to be free from any outside interference, whether from the Traditional Federal Government (TFG), regional administrations, foreign governments and above all your Special Representative, Ambassador Augustine Mahiga.
These arrangements established for the traditional elders in Mogadishu have been working reasonably well up until now. What we now face is a gratuitous crisis hatched by the president of the Puntland State of Somalia, Mr Abdirahman Froole, when he challenged at the meeting of the signatories of the Roadmap in Nairobi (6 August) the manner the clan elders present in Mogadishu distributed the parliamentary seats allotted to them as Dhulbahante clan hailing from the Khatumo State of Somalia (based on the Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions in north west Somalia).
The fact that the Dhulbahante of Khatumo State belong to different clan and regions from those of President Faroole, should have persuaded him that he has no right or business to involve himself with their affairs. All the recognized Khatumo traditional leaders that selected the Constituent Assembly delegates are currently present in Mogadishu and they are the ones mandated to represent the Dhulbahante clan in Mogadishu by the Council of elders, the highest body in the structure of the Khatumo State. Without cause or justification, Mr Faroole granted himself the prerogative to choose some of Khatumo members of Parliament. Apart from president Shariif Ahmed and the AHLU SUNA representative, who walked out of the meeting in protest against this flagrant shenanigans against the Khatumo people, what is incomprehensible is that some co-signatories, and of all people your own UN Special Representative, Ambassador Augustine Mahiga, stood by and supported Faroole’s brazen demand. It is on occasions like this, when some of the players in the Roadmap, and in particular its co-signatories, are riding roughshod over the rule of law and justice that the Somali people look to your SRSG to defend them and not to be an accomplice in this sordid conspiracy to deprive the Khatumo people of their inalienable right to select their MPs through their traditional leaders in line with the established procedures set up for all the assembled traditional leaders now based in Mogadishu. Once these rights are allowed to be abused, and worse, seen to have been sanctioned by your SRSG, they are bound to undermine the whole fragile process now under way with all its adverse implications.
President Faroole’s unacceptable and bizarre action in Nairobi can best be understood against its background going back to the time when the Dhulbahante clan in the SSC regions, exercising their inalienable rights to self-determination, formed their own Khatumo State in January 2012. President Faroole, rather than come to terms with this reality, had ever since been engaged in relentless vendetta against this nascent Khatumo State of Somalia, determined to derail or scuttle. And clearly, it is for this reason that he concocted his unwarranted predatory intervention, which is based neither on reason nor could be justified on the basis of the procedures set up for the Road map to end the Transition.
Sadly, your Special Representative to Somalia. Mr. Mahiga, has taken leave of his responsibilities to support the mandate of the United Nations as an impartial entity to support the rule of law and assist in peaceful resolution of the prolonged conflicts in Somalia. He has morphed into an “arbiter” dispensing favours and patronage for his own ends to strong parties and confidants at the cost of those who are not represented in the small cabal of Roadmap co-signatories as is now happening to Khatumo state. The special UN representative can not be allowed to support Faroole’s mindless claims to abrogate to himself the traditional leaders’ assigned role to nominate the members of parliament in the post transition period.
We appeal to you, Mr Secretary General, to address and redress Mr. Mahiga’s unfortunate blunder and blind support to Faroole to intervene and interfere in the mandate provided to the traditional leaders(of all Somalia) to select their members of parliament. The attempt to usurp the Khatumo State’s traditional leaders’ responsibilities could unravel the Roadmap and peace process as Khatumo leaders walk out of the process. They could be joined by other clans in support and solidarity with them or because they are fearful of similar interferences happening to them.
The Khatumo people are in the unfortunate unique situation among other Somali clans and regional States in Somalia of confronting the collusion of one hostile wily regional leader and your own SRSG. It behoves you, Mr Secretary-General, as well as those in the international community engaged in the early and successful conclusion of the transitional governance phase in Somalia to prevail over both Mahiga, who is now part of the problem and not its solution, as well as Mr Faroole, who is now the greatest wrecker/ “spoiler” of the peace process. For the sake of the Roadmap, they should be made to desist from abusing their positions as co- signatories and refrain from interfering in the selection of each clan as to who should represent them in parliament.
Please accept, your Excellency, the assurances of our highest consideration.
Garad Jama Garad Ali
Garad Suleiman Garad Mohamed
Garad Jama Garad Ismail
Garad Abdullahi Garad Soofe
Sultan Said Osman Ali
Garad Abshir Salah Mohamed
Ugaas Abdullahi Isse Nur
Garad Ali Buraale Hassan
Garad Abdi Salaam Hassan Mohamed
Garad Mohamed Osman Mashgare
Garad Suleiman Buraale
Ugaas Farah Mohamed Ali
Email:jamagarad@yahoo.com
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