Plan of Action Somalia
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Running head: PLAN OF ACTION_SOMALIA PRIME MINISTER 1 Plan of Action_Somalia Prime Minister PLAN OF ACTION_SOMALIA PRIME MINISTER 2 Plan of Action_Somalia Prime Minister Implementing President's Mission and Vision The incoming Prime Minister must work closely with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in the continual implementation of Vision 2016. A central focus is inclusive politics in action. This cooperative approach between the prime minister and the president will serve to reaffirm the government’s desire to create a culture of collaboration. Therefore the incoming prime minister must first acknowledge the missteps of the former Prime Ministers. Journalist Yusuf M. Hassan offered a pointed assessment of such missteps in a recent report. According to Hassan, former Prime Minister Dr. Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed was engaged in a venerable power and positional conflict with the President (Hassan, 2014). Since 2004, Somalia has dealt with socio-political conflict resulting in historic institutional collapse and economic ruin. Therefore, it is important that the country continue the process of reversing international perception, regarding the government’s capacity to work collaboratively. Historically past presidents and prime ministers have been at the center of documented disputes, leading to inefficiency and ineffective government operations (Hassan, 2014). Specifically troubling is the fact that confidence motions by the Federal Parliament have resulted in the removal of seven prime ministers in the past ten years. Although some experts have called for the abolition of the prime minister position, its continued existence is a necessity. Symbolically it represents the balance of shared power which mitigates the possibility of abuse (Hassan, 2014). PLAN OF ACTION_SOMALIA PRIME MINISTER 3 This power struggle highlights the need for the prime minister to clarify President Hassan’s operative vision, for their role. It is assumed that the President will base his interpretation of the functional role, on the articulated constitutional provisions. However, in addition to an operative understanding, the philosophical approach to the role will be vital to long-term sustainability. This is evident in the fact that the two former Prime Ministers, Abdi Farah Shirdon and Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed were only in office for one year respectively. Therefore, the new prime minister must proactively address the concerns of the President at the outset. This requires a sit down with the President to develop consensus on pressing matters such as how to properly mitigate threats of ongoing clan and political rivalries. For example centralist and federalist ideologies must find harmony and balance within the scope of the government’s vision and mission. When former Prime Minister Ahmed guided the formation of two new states, many believed his actions were guided by a federalization push. Subsequently it caused a political impasse that led to a clash with centralist forces in Mogadishu (Hassan, 2014). Another area of pressing concern is the need to strengthen the international donor community’s trust in the Somalia government. According to the U.N. monitoring groups 2014 report there are allegations that the Somali army is selling weapons, and engaging in clan fighting. To the international community such activities present an image of a country unable to fulfill its goal of creating stability and peaceful reform. Additionally, there are frequent claims that the Central Bank is currently operating under corrupt business practices. Without appropriate ethics and operational processes, trust in the Government will dissipate disrupting PLAN OF ACTION_SOMALIA PRIME MINISTER 4 resources from donors. Donors want to believe in the Somali government’s capacity to facilitate public finance reform (Hassan, 2014). The legitimate responsibilities and authority of the Prime Minister are aptly outlined in the Constitution (Article 100). As the head of the Federal Government the Prime Minister can both appoint and discharge members of the Council of Ministers. Also, the Prime Minister is responsible for presenting the Council of Ministers and government programs before the House of People of the Federal Parliament for confirmation. Further, the Prime Minister will effectively seek to fulfill any other responsibilities granted by the Constitution (Constitution.org, n.d.). According to the Vision 2016 Framework for Action there are three foundational areas of focus for the government’s strategy. Those include constitutional review and implementation, completion of the federal system, and democratization. Although Parliament is responsible for implementation, it is the leadership of government that will create an environment conducive to goal attainment (raxanreeb.com, 2014). As part of the Executive branch the Prime Minister must be guided by principles articulated by the present administration. These include the construction of processes that are all- encompassing, translucent, and constant with the Provisional Constitution. Also, all actions of the Prime Minister must support comprehensive reconciliation, in a manner that promotes national interconnection and amalgamation. Finally, it is important that such processes are Somali-owned as this creates long-term viability and cultural pride (raxanreeb.com, 2014). Rebuilding the Army The first stated strategic goal of the administration is the formation of federal member states. As such key activities will include political outreach and consultation to promote PLAN OF ACTION_SOMALIA PRIME MINISTER 5 ownership in the proposed plan (raxanreeb.com, 2014). Rebuilding the army will require a collaborative effort from each of the newly formed federal member states. Therefore, the Prime Minister should work closely with the Ministry of Interior and Federalism to incorporate rebuilding the Army as part of the national strategic plan. Establishing an effective and sustainable military force will require resources and personnel, from each federal member state. The Prime Minister should also work collaboratively with General Dahir Adan Elmi who was appointed commander-in-chief of the Somali National Army in March of 2013. The focus of such conversation should be ascertaining areas of greatest need for the current national military. According to a recent interview General Elmi stressed the importance of more personnel, heavy armaments including tanks, aircraft, receptacles, and additional artillery, which require significant funding (Sabahi, 2014). Although there is currently assistance with military salaries, weapons, and training from international allies this is a short-term stop gap. The Prime Minister working closely with General Elmi must devise economic strategies permitting Somalia to maintain military efficacy. Especially as the African and European Union, the United States, and Turkey begin the diminution of support (Sabahi, 2014). President Hassan recently praised the military defeat of Al-Shabaab, attributing it to concerted efforts of the Somali National Army and the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM). However, there is still approximately 30-40% of Somalia that remains under the reign of Al-Shabaab (United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia, 2014). The Prime Minister should continue to encourage the collaborative efforts of the National Army working with AMISOM to remove al-Shabaab from the remaining areas of Somalia. PLAN OF ACTION_SOMALIA PRIME MINISTER 6 However, there should also be efforts made to educate Somalian’s about why ongoing support of al-Shabaab is destructive for Somalia national sustainability. Specifically, it is important to stress the fact that the group rejects all forms of governance other than shari’a or Islamic law (Anti- Defamation League, 2013). The citizens need to understand that in order for the continuation of international ally support and the emergent economic solvency to continue the present governance must remain intact (Anti-Defamation League, 2013). Also, there needs to be an understanding that al-Shabaab desires to have Somalia become a safe-haven for criminals, absconding from their country. Should Somalia become such a safe-haven it would put every citizen in constant danger (Sabahi, 2014). Finally the Prime Minister should offer support and assistance through the powers of the executive branch for mitigating issues like illegal selling of military uniforms in markets, greater organization (i.e. unit names and numbers), and increased soldier salaries. According to one report soldiers are currently receiving approximately $200 per month in salary and $60 for food (Sabahi, 2014). The United States has historically provides supplemental support albeit sporadically. Also, the Prime Minister can work closely with the executive branch to authorize additional funding for the creation of hospitals that specialize in treating injured soldiers. Currently there is a hospital that used to belong to the military however operational capital is necessary (Sabahi, 2014). Rebuilding the economic and banking system PLAN OF ACTION_SOMALIA PRIME MINISTER 7 Somalia’s economic affluence and the welfare of the banking system will require the maintenance of global partnerships. As such the incoming Prime Minister must work closely with the government to ensure an unending relationship with the World Bank. The World Bank recently administered a multi-partner fund for Somalia, which will finance emergency expenditures. Additionally, Mogadishu’s federal institutions now have salaries and operating support