In one shocking move that has aroused political furor in Somalia, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre denied former Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble a Somali diplomatic passport. The decision saw its eyebrows raise in light of uncertainties about the political climate in the country and the corresponding relations between the main leaders.
The sources intimate that Roble, coming from the ex-Primer minister’s office, has been denied the passport by Hamza while without any proper or written clarity on what informed the decision. The stunning occurrences have left many political observers in a stupor since beforehand, it was quite incident free between the two leaders.
The development drew a reaction from a number of political actors in Somalia, including Fahad Yasin, the former head of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). In a press reply, Yasin expressed himself by saying he saw no reason for Hamza to make that decision.
“Mudane Hamza Abdi Barre, I expected you to follow the directives of the President. But for the first time, I did not expect you to treat the former Prime Minister with such ill respect and deny him a document that he was entitled to properly.” His remarks point out that would spell danger for the unity and stability of Somalia’s political leaders.
Yasin asked, “If Hamza the Prime Minister treated the former Prime Minister like this, who does he prioritise and what does that nature of treatment show of his leadership?” Going on to suggest a concern on the current government’s style in leadership and relations with other important parliamentarians.
Many questions continue emerging with regard to this issue: the implications it has for political dynamics within the country and what it might say about a deeper divide among political elites. This may seem trivial by the overall cultural standards of any normal country; however, it has only reignited the debates around issues of respect, strength, and loyalty in the Somali political EVOLUTION.
This is, therefore, the closing act of the hollowing out drama of Somalia’s political saga, and many citizens and political observers will be watching with hawk-eyed attention; all of them waiting to see how such tension plays in the stability and course of this country in the months to follow.