Instead of independence week celebrations, you guessed it right, it was another day and another illegitimate power grab in Mogadishu. This time it is State Minister Ali ‘Balcad’ Mohamed Omar taking the reigns of the East African Community at the expense of Foreign Minister Mohamed Moallim Fiqi.
In a letter dated 25 June 2024, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre nominated State Minister Ali ‘Balcad’ Mohamed Omar as the “State Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in charge for the East Africa Community Affairs.” In other words, Foreign Minister Fiqi will no longer be responsible for those countriesIn a letter dated 25 June 2024, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre nominated State Minister Ali ‘Balcad’ Mohamed Omar as the “State Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in charge for the East Africa Community Affairs.” In other words, Foreign Minister Fiqi will no longer be responsible for those countries.
The East African Community consists of the eight member states of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania, where reportedly President Hassan Sheikh’s major businesses are based, Tanzania and Kenya in particular.
But this latest power grab didn’t go unanswered. MP Abdillahi Hashi Abib, Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, in a letter to the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Committee and to President Hassan Sheikh wrote, “It has become evident that the State Minister has assumed de facto control over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, effectively sidelining the rightful Foreign Minister. This breach not only violates our constitutional mandates but also undermines the stability and credibility of our diplomatic engagements.”
MP Abib added, “Since assuming office on August 2, 2022, the State Minister [Ali Balcad] has assumed full control over Somalia’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, despite the absence of the appointed Foreign Minister. This blatant overreach is a direct violation of the principles set forth in the Draft Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Article 102.”
Mr. Ali Balcad isn’t your average State Minister in President Hassan Sheikh’s cabinet. As described by MP Abib, he is a key figure in the corruption and nepotism scandals at both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central Bank of Somalia. “The pervasive corruption and nepotism that the State Minister has introduced to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation defy comprehension and surpass all reasonable norms,” writes MP Abib.
MP Abib detailing State Minister Ali Balcad’s corruption scandals writes, “He has systematically targeted Somali diplomats who do not conform to his personal preferences, dismissing those with proven expertise in navigating complex global foreign policies. Instead, he appoints individuals lacking the requisite qualifications and education, resulting in their inability to effectively advocate for and represent the Federal Republic of Somalia’s foreign policy directives to their respective host countries. The State Minister with Financial Interest certified the Cuba Ambassador to Kenya as non-residence ambassador in Somalia and on the afternoon of April 4th, 2023, the Ambassador of Cuba to the Republic of Kenya, Juan Manuel Rodríguez Vázquez, presented to the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the Credentials accrediting him as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba. The last Cuba Ambassador in Somalia was expelled in November 1977 after military support of Ethiopia Government.”
State Minister Ali Balcad’s malign influence isn’t limited to the foreign office but his tentacles reach the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Somalia. MP Abib writes that his interference “has contributed directly to the turmoil within crucial Economic and Financial Institutions, exemplified by the questionable hiring of over 3 of his relatives at the Central Bank of Somalia. Moreover, he asserts authority over the leadership of both the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank, effectively positioning himself as their de facto superior.”
MP Abib, a Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, is highly concerned that by sidelining Minister Fiqi and appointing State Minister Ali Balcad “to oversee foreign affairs and East African community affairs … the President and Prime Minister Risk destabilizing the country’s foreign policy and national security.”
Worried that his “Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Affairs lacks the necessary will and determination to compel the State Minister in question to appear before either a committee hearing or a full floor hearing,” MP Abib urges his “colleagues to unite and demand the immediate appearance of this runaway State Minister before our committee. Failing to do so would be a betrayal of the oath we swore to uphold for all Somali communities. It is crucial that we heed the voices of the people and take a stand against this runaway State Minister. Failure to act would signify our endorsement of incompetence, the erosion of the rule of law, and a disregard for accountability and transparency.”
Contributed to by Daljir staff in Garoowe and Nairobi
COMMENTS