Mogadishu Bombings expose Qatari scheme to forestall Somalia election

Ali Ragab

Somalia is likely to pay the price for the influence that National Intelligence Security Agency (NISA) deputy director Fahad Yasin practices over security institutions and political decisions in the country through a series of terrorist operations.

A truck bomb exploded at a busy security checkpoint in Somalia’s capital Saturday morning, killing at least 73.

At least 125 were wounded. Children and students were among those wounded.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, however, observers sense Al-Shabaab’s fingerprints over the terrorist operation.

Al-Qaida-linked al-Shabaab often carries out such attacks. It was blamed for a devastating truck bombing in Mogadishu in October 2017 that killed more than 500 people, though the group never claimed responsibility for the blast.

Yasin, a former senior Al-Jazeera Network correspondent and member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Somalia and the Islamic Courts Union, is considered the link of communication between Qatar and armed militias in Somalia, especially al-Shabaab, which Doha supports to increase its influence within the country.

It is highly believed that this is a scheme laid out by Yasin to animate further instability and thus postpone the election.

The bombings coincide with hot discussions within the Somali Parliament regarding the election form.

Somalia last held one-person, one-vote elections in March 1969.   Parliamentary and presidential elections took place in late 2016 and early 2017 through a system of indirect suffrage.

Reports, however, say UN Special Representative James Swan underscored the need to forge political consensus to realize what he described as the “ambitious agenda for 2020”.

“This will entail dialogue and compromise between the central government and Federal Member States; between the executive and legislature; between current office-holders and those now out of power; and between elite leaders and those community elders, civil society organizations, women’s and youth groups who give voice to so many Somalis”, he said.

“After more than a year without effective cooperation between the Central Government and key Federal Member States, this situation has become an obstacle to achieving important national priorities. Somalia’s leaders must act urgently to break this stalemate between the Center and the Federal Member States in the interest of the nation.”

He called upon the government to pass the electoral code and adopt amendments to the political parties’ law before the end of this year.

“Any delay in this timeline puts the 2020 electoral calendar at risk,” he warned.

Somalia’s international partners have reaffirmed the importance of timely and effective preparations of the 2020/21 federal elections in a joint statement.

In line with the commitments made by the Federal Government and other Somali stakeholders, the partners urge that the future election model should respect the Constitution; ensure that the federal elections are held on time in late 2020/early 2021, without extension of the terms of the Executive or Parliament; ensure fair representation of all Somali communities; ensure fair representation of all Somali communities; and to respect the mandate of the National Independent Electoral Commission.