Somalia: President suspends PM’s power to hire and fire officials as country awaits elections

The President of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed announced on September 16, 2021, that he has suspended Prime Minister Mohammed Hussein Roble’s power to fire and fire the officials. This has further escalated a destabilizing row in the Horn of Africa.

The dispute between Somalian President Mohamed and Prime Minister Mohammed Hussein Roble, nominally over a murder investigation, has generated months of tension in Somalia which is already driven by militant attacks and clan rivalries.

The President of Somalia in an official statement said that the Prime Minister has violated the constitution and mentioned that the suspension will last until the conclusions of elections later in 2021.

What Somalian Prime Minster said on suspension?

Prime Minister Mohammed Hussein Roble, while commenting on his suspension by the President, said that he will not abide by the President’s order.

Prime Minister accused him of twisting the constitutional provisions he cited in order to justify his interference with the power of the Prime Minister’s Office.

Prime Minister of Somalia in a statement issued by his office said that Prime Minister reminds the President to preserve the principles of the constitution of the separation of powers of the government’s institutions.

#BREAKING Somalia president says withdraws PM's executive powers in escalating row pic.twitter.com/XITYay8YzW

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) September 16, 2021

Clash between Somalian President and Prime Minister

President Mohamed and Prime Minister Roble had first clashed in April 2021, when the President unilaterally extended his 4-year term by two years.

The move prompted army factions loyal to each man to seize the royal positions in the Capital of Somalia, Mogadishu.

The confrontation between the two was further resolved when President put Prime Minister in charge of security and organizing delayed legislative and presidential elections in the country. That process was supposed to be concluded in October 2021, however, it was pushed back again last week.

Prime Minister Roble has accused the President of obstructing an effective investigation of the case of Ikran Tahlil Farah who was an agent of the National Intelligence Service Agency. She went missing while working in the agency’s cybersecurity department.

Farah’s family believes that she was murdered, while the National Intelligence Service Agency has not commented on the case.