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    Somalia’s President Suspends Prime Minister Over Corruption Allegations

    The premier, Mohamed Hussein Roble, defied the order to step down as tensions continue over long-delayed elections.NAIROBI, Kenya — Somalia’s president suspended the country’s prime minister and marine forces commander on Monday, a sharp escalation in a political dispute that threatens to further destabilize the troubled nation on the Horn of Africa.President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed suspended Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble over allegations of corruption and misuse of public land. Mr. Mohamed’s office had earlier accused Mr. Roble of “posing a serious threat to the electoral process” and carrying out activities that were in violation of his mandate.Mr. Roble refused to accept the order and accused Mr. Mohamed of deploying troops to attack his office and those of the cabinet in order to prevent them from carrying out their duties. The moves, he said in a televised address, were “a blatant attempt to overthrow the government, the Constitution and the laws of the land.”On Monday, foreign governments and international observers expressed concern that the dispute could set off yet another cycle of violence in a nation battered by decades of fighting.The simmering political impasse blew into open violence in the streets in April, after Mr. Mohamed signed a law extending his term in office by two years. Opponents of Mr. Mohamed, a former American citizen and bureaucrat, along with his Western allies denounced the move, with many Somalis worrying that it could reverse the modest democratic gains the country has achieved after decades of civil war.The showdown eventually led Mr. Mohamed to ask Parliament to nullify the extension and request that Mr. Roble help organize the delayed elections.Calling Mr. Mohamed “the former president,” the premier on Monday instructed armed forces to report directly to his office and promised to take action against anyone that defied those orders. He also said Mr. Mohamed, whose mandate technically lapsed in February of this year, intended to disrupt the elections so “he can illegally remain in office.”Somali military forces supporting opposition leaders in Mogadishu in May after clashes between rival factions.Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesThe process of organizing the elections has not been smooth, with legislative elections facing delays, irregularities and multiple corruption allegations from candidates and observers. So far, only 26 of the 275 lawmakers for the lower house of Parliament have been elected, with 53 of 54 seats in the upper house filled.Somalia’s electoral process is decidedly complex, with traditional elders choosing special delegates who select lawmakers, who then choose the country’s president. Mr. Mohamed has said he wants to move to a more traditional one-person, one-vote process, but his critics say he is driven by a desire to hold onto power.While the Somali Constitution gives the president the power to appoint a premier, the power to dismiss or give a vote of no confidence in the prime minister and his cabinet lies with Parliament.Abdirahman Yusuf Omar, a deputy minister of information loyal to the prime minister, called the president’s decision an “indirect coup.”Writing on Facebook, Mr. Omar said the deployment of security forces around the prime minister’s office would not prevent Mr. Roble from carrying out his duties.The political battle comes as more than 90 percent of the country faces drought conditions, according to the United Nations, with almost four million people estimated to be at risk of acute food insecurity.Somalia is also confronting increasing threats from the Shabab terrorist group, the negative economic impact of Covid-19, and clashes between rival forces in various parts of the country that have left dozens dead and thousands displaced from their homes.On Monday, Mogadishu residents said there was a heavy presence of troops in the streets, with many worrying that the political feud could turn bloody yet again.Abdimalik Abdullahi, an independent analyst in Mogadishu, said the latest suspension “spirals Somalia into another rocky political crisis.”The international community, Mr. Abdullahi said, should “put pressure on the political actors in Somalia to comply with existing election agreements, provide stern notice to spoilers with possible repercussions and support the prime minister to deliver his mandate regarding the management of the electoral process.”On Sunday, the United States, Britain and other Western countries said they were concerned about the delay in the elections and urged political leaders to attend a Monday meeting convened by the prime minister to resolve disputes and speed up the electoral process.But ahead of the meeting, President Mohamed’s office on Sunday accused the prime minister of “posing a serious threat to the electoral process” and for carrying out activities that were in violation of his mandate.Armored vehicles in the distance as Somali military forces secured the streets near the presidential palace in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Monday.Feisal Omar/ReutersThe prime minister is also facing an investigation on corruption charges.The commander of the Somali Navy, Brigadier General Abdihamid Mohamed Dirir, recently publicly accused top government officials, including Mr. Roble, of planning to grab public land belonging to the Coast Guard near Mogadishu’s port.In a statement released by the presidency, Mr. Mohamed accused Mr. Roble of not only misappropriating the land owned but also exerting pressure on the defense minister “which amounts to tampering” with the investigation.Pending the conclusion of the inquiry, “the duty and powers of the Prime Minister remain suspended,” Mr. Mohamed said. The president also suspended General Dirir, saying the move was crucial for completing the investigation against the prime minister.As the political turmoil mounted on Monday, Somali political leaders, along with the embassies of Britain and the United States, entreated officials to take urgent steps to de-escalate the situation.“I am deeply saddened by the horrific actions that threaten the stability and existence of this nation,” Fawzia Yusuf H. Adam, a former foreign minister and the lone female presidential candidate, said in a post shared on Twitter. “The leaders of this country must stop inciting violence and abide by the law and agreements.” More

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    Gunfire Erupts in Mogadishu as Somalia’s Political Feud Turns Violent

    Tensions had been rising since the president, a former American citizen, failed to hold scheduled elections, then extended his term in office by two years.NAIROBI, Kenya — Gunfire erupted across the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on Sunday as security forces loyal to the president clashed with units that appeared to have sided with his rivals, stoking fears that Somalia’s simmering political crisis is spilling over into violence.The fighting, some of the worst in the Somali capital for years, followed months of tense talks between President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and opponents who accuse him of making an unconstitutional power grab.The talks collapsed after Mr. Mohamed failed to hold presidential and parliamentary elections by February, as scheduled, and then two months later signed a law extending his term in office by two years. His actions have drawn criticism from the United States and other Western allies.The moves effectively ended United Nations-mediated negotiations backed by the United States and added fuel to an already combustible political situation.The shooting started Sunday afternoon after soldiers aligned with the opposition took positions at several strategic locations in Mogadishu, drawing fire from pro-government forces. Analysts said the rift was influenced by the powerful clan divisions that have often been at the center of the turmoil Somalia has faced since its central government collapsed in 1991.As rival factions traded fire late into Sunday evening, alarmed Western officials appealed for a halt to fighting they feared might spiral into a wider confrontation that could unravel years of modest yet steady progress toward turning Somalia into a functioning state.Anti-government military forces in Mogadishu.Farah Abdi Warsameh/Associated PressThe European Union ambassador to Somalia, Nicolas Berlanga, appealed on Twitter for “maximum restraint” on all sides. “Violence is unacceptable,” he said. “Those responsible will be held accountable.”The fighting also raised the possibility of dangerous fissures along clan lines inside the Somali military, and the worry that powerful foreign-trained units, including an elite American-funded commando squad, could get sucked in.Videos posted online by Somali reporters and news outlets Sunday night depicted long bursts of gunfire around Kilometer 4, a major junction in the city. Some of fighting occurred near Villa Somalia, as the presidential palace is known.Foreigners living in the highly protected zone around Mogadishu’s international airport said they had retreated into bunkers to avoid being hit by stray gunfire.The main clashes occurred outside the homes of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a former president of Somalia, and Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, the leader of a major opposition party. In statements, both men laid blame for the attacks on President Mohamed, who is popularly known by the nickname “Formaajo.”At a hastily convened news conference, Hassan Hundubey Jimale, Somalia’s minister of internal security, denied that the government had attacked the former president’s home and blamed unspecified foreign countries for the clashes.Mr. Jimale gave no details about how many people had been killed or injured.Critics said Mr. Mohamed was making a high-stakes bid to stay in power.“It seems Formaajo has decided his final suicidal attack by attacking every opposition figure in town,” said Hussein Sheikh Ali, a former national security adviser who once worked under Mr. Mohamed.American officials said they had privately warned Mr. Mohamed, a one-time American citizen, against using the Danab, an American-trained commando force of about 900 soldiers, to crack down on his opponents. But they acknowledged that Mr. Mohamed has other options, including Turkish-trained troops estimated to number at least 2,600 men.Demonstrators burned photographs of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed in Mogadishu.Farah Abdi Warsameh/Associated PressA contingent of troops trained in Eritrea, whose authoritarian leader, Isaias Afwerki, is a key ally of Mr. Mohamed, are reported to have returned to Somalia in recent weeks.The election in 2017 of Mr. Mohamed, a former New York State official with a home in Buffalo, raised hopes he could set the country on a less corrupt and dysfunctional track. But disillusionment set in as Mr. Mohamed’s government silenced critics, expelled the top U.N. official and, last year, dragged its feet over scheduled elections.The opposition has refused to recognize Mr. Mohamed’s authority since his four-year term expired on Feb. 8 without planned presidential and parliamentary elections taking place.Talks between the two sides over the terms of any elections have been deadlocked since the fall. Opponents accused Mr. Mohamed and his powerful spy chief, Fahad Yasin, of attempting to rig the system by stuffing regional electoral boards with their supporters.Mr. Mohamed claimed his enemies were trying to shy away from an election, and now says he needs two years to bring forward plans for universal suffrage in Somalia. Under the current system, the president is chosen through an indirect, clan-based vote.Mr. Mohamed’s move to extend his term by two years on April 14, which some analysts called a “constitutional coup,” met with fierce criticism from the United States and other Western allies.In Mogadishu, the move caused some opposition leaders to retreat into their clan strongholds.Among those embroiled in the fighting on Sunday was Sadek John, a former police chief of Mogadishu who was dismissed in mid-April after he opposed Mr. Mohamed, according to a Somali police official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the press.Declan Walsh reported from Nairobi, Kenya and Hussein Mohamed from Mogadishu, Somalia. More