HSM NEEDS TO LEARN THE ROPES OF DIPLOMACY

WDM EDITORIAL

You don’t go to visit a foreign country and start negotiations at the top as a Head of State or Head of Government. Instead, you send diplomats and subject-matter experts upfront to prepare and negotiate on behalf of your government. Then, the head of your government goes there for photo opportunity and signing ceremony. The 2nd option is to select respective teams to work out together the details of possible agreement upon arrival of the delegation for signature and joint press briefing by the heads of State or Heads of government. That is how it works and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud should abandon amateur foreign visits and adequately prepare before he leaps into diplomatic fiasco. Look at what had happened in Uganda only yesterday, with two Heads of State negotiating and washing their dirty linens in Public.

What is amazing to note here is that Mohamud and Museveni press briefing was about military and security situation in Somalia, an issue that should be kept close to chest. This is good news for the extremists and enemies of Somali peace and stability monitoring Mohamud’s hasty foreign adventures. To President Mohamud: If you are unable to learn and grow, don’t try to lead.

Watch: https://youtu.be/5x22ct9PFNg.

Postscript

Here we go again. Look carefully at this photo. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud meeting with US Defence Secretary Austin. On the Somali side, who is attending? His Chief of Staff and rightly the Somali Ambassador to Washington. But, what has happened to Mohamud’s security and military personnel? A Somali cameraman is out of place in this meeting. He shouldn’t be there. Mohamud is either doing these diplomatic and protocol irregularities intentionally, or he is damn inert to learn the art of diplomacy and statecraft. Why isn’t there the Somali Foreign Minister?

I MET WITH THIS GENERAL IN 2002

We spent hours discussing and debating the dynamics of Somali National Peace and Reconciliation Conference that was in progress at time in Embagati, Kenya. I briefed General Muhoozi Kainerugaba to brief his dad, M7 of Uganda, in Kampala. He did a good a job then. He was an army major at the time. This general is not novice to Somali issues and politics of conflict. His intervention now is bad news for current Somali leaders. Remember Villa Somalia, and to a greater extent, Mogadishu, is an occupied institution by AMISOM troops for protection as their core mission to Somalia.

Now, after nearly two decades, notice the style of these meetings in Mogadishu today. Farmajo was met solo, too sensitive session to share with his team. Rooble had the presence of an eyewitness from his team.

A decade ago, Farmajo was a Somali Prime Minister. He was as difficult as he is today moving this country forward. He was asked then by AMISOM and President M7 not to be an obstacle to the TFG Transitional Process. He was removed and replaced eventually. This meeting sounds like Kampala Accord 2.0. It is a national tragedy, however, for foreign generals and soldiers to pay a visit to a Head of State in his own office, perhaps under security threats and sanctions. Shame on Farmajo!

(This article has been updated since posting.)

Is Carmo (Armo) National Somalia Police Academy being neglected by the Somali Federal Government?

The Armo (Carmo) National Police Academy is a Somali Federal institution invested heavily by Somalia with the help of international organizations for the purpose of training police officers at national level. A good number of police officers have graduating the school over the years. Former cadets of the academy are already active police officers in Mogadishu and Puntland State of Somalia.

The current Somali Federal Government looks neglecting that important institution despite its declared policy statements on national security as priority number one. If this were not intended as double talk, Carmo Police Academy should be fully utilyzed as important infrastructure in the country. They should not be sending cadets all the way to Uganda when they can do the same here at home.