Month: June 2022

DR ABDIRAHMAN BEYLE: THE SOMALI PRINCE OF CORRUPTION, NEPOTISM AND PUBLIC THEFT

According to the people in the know, Somali Federal Minister of Finance, Dr Abdirahman Beyle, has turned the department into his clan enclave with 80-90% of the ministry staff drawn on nepotism. Taking advantage of corrupt nature of his former bosses and Somali politicians, he is reported to have amassed huge personal fortune, while perfecting the art of theft and looting of public wealth, by creating special accounts for him and his bosses for plunder of public funds, which had never been accounted for in the government budget. Beyle is reported to have built skyscrapers in Hargeisa, using looted public funds.

Beyle’s corrupt adventures and nepotism have no limits to the extent that he even tried to insert his clan members in international financial institutions like Africa Development Bank, on behalf of Somalia, to forget the hundreds of thousands of dollars he gifted to a fellow clan member as the later was appointed Somali Ambassador to Canada, a man named Dhimbil and a former minister of the secessionist Somaliland. Once secured these large sums of money, Mr Dhimbil had trafficked a dozen of his kids from two marriages to Ottawa in Canada. With nowhere to accommodate such huge number of family members, he had to seek large property to rent. The situation had attracted the attention of the Canadian authorities to warrant an investigation into the matter. Diplomatic reports said that his diplomatic immunity has now been suspended, pending to the installation of a new Somali government.

This scandal unnoticed by Somali government had ended up in Ambassador’s family seeking asylum in Canada, with the host government sending a diplomat note of protest to the Somali government complaining about lack of operating funds for Somalia’s mission. The Ambassador was reported shamelessly begging for handouts from the Canadian Somali community there.

Somali Federal Parliament and some legal authorities have been recently looking into the matter of Dr Beyle’s mal-administration and mismanagement of Finance Department’s funds. Whether they have legal strengths to have him accountable is yet to be seen.

For laughter, watch the video below:

Somalia and the Islamist War: Assessing the Probability of Al-Shabab Winning or Losing the War with Somaliahttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1fN7vePH0Ic-v1rzkHeK1IdP5_MvTO4L4/view

Download it here

wp-1656577930508Download

By Dr Abdisalam Salwe, East Africa University, Bosaso, Puntland.

ABSENCE OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN SOMALI PUBLIC AFFAIRS

EDITORIAL

They say democracy dies in the darkness. It is equally true democracy suffers from demagoguery. Nowadays, a trend sets in Somali politics. It is News Blackout and subsequent public confusion as a result of a situation whereby the general public is kept in the dark on what is happening in their government. This confusion led to disappointment and loss of hope for the future for most Somalis. Man, by nature, thrives on hope for better days to come. Despite the prevailing difficulties in his life, he keeps struggling if he knows steps are being taken to improve his plight.

Strangely, there is a dangerous political culture Somali politicians are learning from Farmajo Regime: Absolute News Blackouts on running public affairs and occasional demagoguery speeches. This means no transparency and accountability in public affairs. It is an artificial creation of despair and disillusionment in the minds of the general public. It is a removal of better tomorrow from the public psychology and discourse. It is the beginning of social decay and dystopian situation.

If the successors of Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo were to salvage the situation from getting even worse, they have to act fast to unlearn Farmajo’s ways in public policy, and get real with the Somali public in transparency manners that incite and inspire people in their bitter struggle for better future.

(Feature picture: In the absence of the President due to sickness or incapacity to perform his duties, the Speaker of the Lower House acts as the President in overseeing the installation of the New PM, Hamse Abdi Barre.)

PS. This editorial was edited after posting.

WHY ETHIOPIA AND KENYA WOULDN’T WELCOME THE APPOINTMENT OF SOMALIA’S NEW PRIME MINISTER HAMSE BARRE

Editor’s Note:

Retrospectively, Prime Minister Hamse Barre has been an incompetent executive, but an effective enabler of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud‘s (HSM’s) unconstitutional grab of all powers of the Executive Branch of the Somali Federal Government. Many were surprised when HSM appointed him on June 14, 2022, for reasons he only knew. But setting a historical precedence similar to Farmajo’s appointment of Hassan Ali Khayre wasn’t one of his reasons. What people didn’t know at the time was that Hamse was a decoy to musk Mohamud’s Dambul-Jadid‘s grand plan of HAG (Hawiye Action Group) agenda on avenging their historical grievances against Daroods.

This WDM editorial below under the above title was written after HSM had appointed Mr Barre. Ogaden Somalis received this editorial negatively at the time for emotional tribal reasons. They didn’t get it. We hope they read it differently today. Take a look:

WDM EDITORIAL

Historically and constitutionally, any person of Somali origin enjoys equal citizenship rights in Somalia. Equally, Ethiopia and Kenya consider any person of Darood/Ogaden subclan a citizen in each of their respective country. So, Prime Minister Barre, by virtue of his new position in his own country, automatically creates a bit of complications in their diplomatic and political relationships with neighboring Somalia.

It is worthnoting also to refer to former Somali President, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, who couldn’t visit USA as Head of State of a foreign country with the full protection of diplomatic immunity as he was a US citizen. Accordingly, Farmajo was reported to have abandoned his US citizenship to visit America as a Somali President.

To avoid such potential strained relations with Kenya and Ethiopia, on top of already intractable disputes, historical conflict and violence, successive Somali regimes didn’t appoint or elect an Ogaden man to such highly visible position as Chief Executive.

While one may commend President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for having made this decision in appointing Prime Minister Hamze Barre, someone may also be tempted to raise the question on whether he did due diligence to improve relationships with Somalia’s neighbors, given the historical burdens between Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Whatever the consequences of Mohamud’s appointment, all Somalis congratulate the New Prime Minister and wish him well.

PS: This editorial was updated after posting.

Watch “Somali Leaders: Negotiating with foreign counterparts in the darkness.” on YouTube

Watch “6 January Congressional Select Committee Hearings, USA.” on YouTube

Watch “Puntland Democratization is more important than one man’s Federal Title” on YouTube

Watch “Political corruption in Somalia” on YouTube

Watch “Takeaways of recent Somali Federal Elections” on YouTube

Watch “Chris Hedges | American Republic IS DEAD” on YouTube

https://youtu.be/_uViJYniVMw

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Watch “Missing role of the Somali Government” on YouTube

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE SOMALI GOVERNMENT

Mr President, Ministers and Members of the Parliament

I thought that public relations are important component of public affairs. An attempt to reach out to the office of the President by the members of the general public cannot be discarded as routine modus operandi of the Presidency.

Since Military Regime of 1969-1991, and throughout Transitional Governments of Post-Civil War, Somali Members of the Parliament were more rogue elements in the State than genuine representatives of their respective constituencies. This is the main reason for mal-administration, corruption and bankruptcy of intellect and initiatives in Somalia.

The public is full of ideas as well as concerns to address issues of public interests. Some are looking for opportunities to contribute to nation-building. Still others are thinking of how to join campaigns for national reconstruction. Are these issues fall into areas of your Excellencies’ interests? If so, think of creating public affairs section in each portofolio of the government and Parliament. It is an office ran by one officer with an assistant attached to each ministry and offices of the House Speakers reporting to a designated officer agreed upon.
Correspondences by the members of the general public to offices of the government at levels shouldn’t be ignored to avoid harming the public image and perception of the government.

All the best,
Ismail H. Warsame
Tel: +252 90 703 4081
Email: ismailwarsame@gmail.com