Federal Parliament MPs accuse Somalia leaders of financing saboteurs against Somaliland cause, development
The emirate of Qatar has just signed eight more ‘agreements’ and ‘MOUs’ with the Federal Government of Somalia at a time members of the Federal Parliament are accusing it of using unaccounted for millions to destabilize Somaliland and federal states.
According to the Gulf Times, the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani and the Prime Minister of Somalia Hassan Ali Khayre signed a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding at the Amiri Diwan, Thursday.
The agreements between Khayre and the Emir Minister were listed as:
1. An agreement on avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion.
2. An agreement on encouraging and protecting mutual investments.
3. An agreement on maritime transport.
4. An agreement on economic, trade and technical co-operation.
5. An MoU on co-operation in the field of ports.
6. An MoU on co-operation between the Diplomatic Institute in the Qatar’s Foreign Ministry and the Diplomatic Institute in the Somalia’s Foreign Ministry.
7. An MoU on the establishment of a joint supreme committee.
8. An MoU on political co-operation and consultation between the Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation.
The understanding, which is interpreted by a great number of critics and political analysts as more lush funds to quash opposition to Villa Somalia in whatever form it appears, comes at a time Baidoa is burning due to the heavy-handed interference of President Farmajo and PM Khayre in the Southwest Federal State presidential elections.
Following the arrest of Mukhtar Robow, an ex-Al Shabaab leader, who has laid down arms to contest in the Federal State presidential elections on Thursday, an official figure of 11 dead was released by the government, among whom a pro-government, federal MP. Residents put the number at a much higher figure. Casualties, they say, fell which include Ethiopian ‘peacekeepers’ and police besides civilians who had taken up arms against the Mogadishu-imported ‘law keepers’.
The agreements also come at a juncture of time Mogadishu, the seat of the weak, internationally propped government, is holding its breath following the standoff between the Federal Parliament and the President following a motion of impeachment some 92 MPs filed against him earlier in the week.
Qatar is becoming annoyingly notorious for dashing in with unaccountable hard cash and other military and material support to President Farmajo’s administration at the whiff of the least challenge to, obviously, protect its ‘interests’ against rival Gulf states – regardless.
Federal Parliament members, assessing the Somalia situation as it appears now on a televised program, accuse the incumbent leaders of not only failing to bridge societal rifts that came in many forms but that they, also, robbed the country dry. The MPs said President Farmajo and the Prime Minister’s office use some of the loot to install puppet leaders at some of the Federal states, and financed insurgency in others putting a dictatorial, military junta-like leadership with muscle in practice.
The MPs revealed the bulk of that money went to saboteurs in leading traditional and political positions to undermine the cause and development of the ‘Somaliland administration’ – nation.
The MPs stated that the corruption rot was much more extensive than the US$42 million the parliamentary subcommittee on finance uncovered.
“In the last 8 months alone.” MP Abdullahi M Nour disclosed “92 million Dollars went missing unaccounted for and without being processed through legal channels”.
MP Nour added that as much as 3.5 million US Dollars arrived at Villa Somalia in briefcases to be used as sabotage funds against, mainly, the internationally unrecognized Republic of Somaliland.
The disbandment of the Federal Parliament Subcommittee on Financial matters formed another central pillar of the impeachment submitted to the House Speaker who has, himself, moved out of Villa Somalia, Thursday, to a heavily guarded hotel ‘for fear of his safety’.
President Farmajo moved out to army command headquarters earlier during the week fearing that Villa Somalia may get hit.
Following up on other controversial ‘agreements’ reportedly entered into in Asmara and Bahr Dar by the leaders of Somalia, Eritrea, and Ethiopia, President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea arrived in Mogadishu, Thursday, to stay the night. Mogadishu showed its true face in the evening by greeting with a heavy exchange of fire at and around one of the main entrances to Villa Somalia which lasted for several hours.
The agreements formed one of the central pillars of the impeachment motion filed against President Farmajo.
One thing is certain, critics point out, the make-belief form of non-existent Villa Somalia and the charade played out to the benefit of ‘international partners’ was about to run out on its steam, exposing the unsavory works that lay underneath.
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