Whom does President Hassan sheikh represent?

November 26, 2015

By abdisalam mohamud

It is really odd to ask a head of state whom does he lead. Yet, in the case of President Hassan Sheikh of , it is pertinent question. The country is an occupied state; it is run as a fiefdom of United Nations’ experimentation of shared sovereignty, which leaves him less power to decide, if any, issues of vital importance to the Somali nation. He is subjected to the limits placed by the tools used by the UN as a camouflage to limit Somalia’s independence represented by a host of varying interests in the name of African Union, African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Nongovernmental Agencies and United Nations Monitoring Group, and what not.

President Hassan Sheikh

Thus President Hassan Sheikh is in bind. He is bound to serve the interests of those acting on behalf of the United Nations. Hence, he is not truly the head of the Federal Republic of Somalia. He is in the hands of various vested interest groups like IGAD, AMISOM or UN special representative to Somalia. None wants to see a viable Somali State; they separately or in league work to undermine the existence of Somalia; and they thus cry out for the implementation and ratification of a constitution drafted by them, which weakens the country’s social fabric, in the sense of many competing so-called federal presidents for prominence.

Furthermore, the prominent role played in the affairs of Somalia by the UN Special Representative, Mr. Nicholas Kay, in his game of pick and entitle among the rubbish, Somali politicians makes Hassan Sheikh’s presidency irrelevant. At any given time, alternatively, he is applauding the head of one of the federal regions. And yet, when he sees that President Hassan’s position is in danger as shown by the motion of no confidence brought by some members of the Federal Parliament in August 2015, Kay came to his rescue by opposing the motion.

However, what would have put an end to the devious role staged by Nicholas Kay and his entourage in the form of IGAD, AMISOM, and the likes would have been the election of truly Somali head of state through one-man-one vote- and that Kay have succeeded in to scuttle it. Consequently, Somalia is held back where it was before Hassan’s ascendency to the post of presidentship, a transitional state. That notwithstanding, Hassan Sheikh has declared himself to be a candidate for the coming August 2016 presidential election of Somalia, which the method of selection will be the same as the one that heralded him to presidency- an election symbolized by “cash for vote” from the members of the so-called Federal Parliament of Somalia.

No wonder, Hassan Sheikh is busy to collect the maximum amount of cash from any quarter to be re-elected. He thus bared himself that he is a politician willing to sell the body and the soul of Somalis for his own personal gain. He became the first Somali head of state in the history of Somalia to authorize the unthinkable, because of religious belief, by signing an agreement with Saudi Arabia to ship Muslim Somali women as maids to the Kingdom in return for monetary value in which two of his nephews are the recruiting agents responsible for shipping those would be domestic servants to Saudi Arabia. Moreover, he allowed after signing an agreement with United Arab Emirates which the figures that changed hands are not revealed to send Somali men in uniform to fight in Yemen against the Houthis as Emirates soldiers, when more often he is pleading hypocritically the lack of Somali army force for the reason Al-Shabab is marauding the country and its lack of stability.

Little surprise, President Hassan Sheikh openly declares Somalia as open house for sale in search for an investment for him and his cronies acting on his behalf. The net result is exemplified by the UK-based Soma Oil and Gas Holdings Limited agreement that raised the eyebrows of United Nations Monitoring Group that called its stoppage. Yet, he is not tired off in search of other avenues for his enrichment. He sees those whom he appoints for posts as taps for source of monies. Hassan Mohamed Muungab, the former mayor of Mogadishu is one example of such source. Whatever monies he has collected through tax or other nefarious means, he gave a cut to Hassan Sheikh. When that angered Mogadishu residents, some members of Federal Parliament started to question Hassan Mohamed Muungaab’s misuse of power including the Speaker of the House, and the minister of home affairs. They demanded the former mayor to be accountable for his misdeeds and be brought to court. The president replaced him with a man who has blood on his hand whom he expected to continue the ways of the former mayor. And stood against his trial in court of law by saying it will taint his regime with unwanted questions, which is laughable excuse unless Hassan sheikh was afraid of exposure of his links with the former mayor by the court hearings of Hassan Muungaab, whom many regarded to be his collecting agent.

In fact, it is Hassan Sheikh’s trade mark in rewarding those who commit heinous acts against the Somali state, if not questionable ones, since he has no other role in the affairs of the country which has further coupling effects on its running by external forces. Hassan Sheikh has trusted in Somali Embassy in Ankara ,Turkey, with Abdullahi Mohamed Ali Sanblooshe whom United Kingdom rejected his credentials to represent Somalia in UK, because he is a spy for another country, alluding to be ’s agent. In addition, Jamal Mohamed Hassan was an official at United States’ Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, before his appointment as Somali Ambassador to Kenya. Besides, he has recruited an Ethiopian who has a bachelor degree in law as Somalia’s attorney general who was before his appointment a truck driver in USA. Apart from that, Hassan Sheikh has made his domestic policy plank as institutionalization of corruption and instability which he feels will facilitate his dream of re-election. He places members of his political party of Development and Peace known in other words Damuljadiid and members of his sub-clan important posts-whether it is ministerial or others. For instance, he went out of his way to spend a fortune for the election of Damuljadid vice president, Abdikarim Hussein Guled, as president. And he aims to place the throne of the emerging federal state of Hiiraan and Shebele at the feet of either Abdirahman Odawa, the federal minister of home affairs or Abdirizak Omar, the Somali National Security Minister. Yet, Abdikarim and Abdirizak are tainted by corruption. Abdikarim Hussein is notable for taking anything that comes in his way to the extent that he did not spare a bullet-proof ambulance meant for ferrying the wounded of Mogadishu gifted by Norway when he was the Minister of Interior and Security, whereas Abdirizak, he mid-wived the British oil firm Soma Oil &Gas that we all are aware of its ramifications- the sellout of Somali offshore oil and gas resources to a British firm. As for Odaawa, he is alleged to be ineffective minister.

Likewise, Hassan Sheikh has made mockery the building of institutions that would have revived the failed state of Somalia. He put unqualified members of his clan to positions of power like the young man, Abdirahman Tuure who is in charge the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) without any tangible qualification, though he has been given the rank of General. He is not an exception. It is general phenomena in Hassan’s reign awarding unskilled individuals to higher posts even when they are exposed that their credential papers were fake, like Ms Faaduma Meye Mahamud, the deputy Auditing General of Somalia, who is the nephew of Farah Abdulqadir, a close confidant of the president.

However, the most notable of his inner circle which is very intriguing whom he consults in constructing viable institutions with in the country are: Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir, a deputy of Somali Federal Parliament who is a trusted lieutenant of , and Gabre, an Ethiopian general who gives advice to Hassan Sheikh in matters related to security, despite his self- appointment to the post. Therefore, what institutions one expects from these two, knowing the fact that Ethiopia is archenemy of Somalia.

Sadly, Hassan’s political machinations for his early re-election campaign brought rift within the people of Galmudug region. It affected as well the stability of the inhabitants of Hiiraan area as he wishes to impose his choice on them, though Ethiopia with its wicked plans is fuelling the clan disputes in that region. It supports Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama faction against the group of Galmudug president Abdikarim to draw the maximum concessions from him in line with its destabilization scheme of Somalia. Ahlu Sunnah itself is an Ethiopian created front which is mainly x-warlords. Yet, Hassan Sheikh is silent about Ethiopia’s role against his Damuljadid comrade, Abdikarim Hussein, as he is silent on what the Kenyans are doing at Beled Hawo-shifting the line of control farther deep inside Somalia. Hence, the question is whom does Hassan Sheikh represent? It is your guess.

Abdisalam Mohamud