The second group consists of the president and group MPs and small number of politicians. They passed in a dubious and disputed amendment in parliament and they want to hang on power.  These two camps don’t  trust each other. The country has been paralysed by their continuous dispute.  The International Community has been as an honest broker. They are conversant with the details of every turn and twist of Somali political dispute.  Their position seems now to be creating more confusion than solution.  The US and UN are involved in different capacities...

The United States  spokesman in a statement on Somali political impasse said, ”US is deeply concerned about the absence of an election implementation agreement in Somalia. While this an issue for Somalis to resolve,  the United States views immediate elections is critical to Somalia’s future.”  In what is seen in Somalia as coordinated effort, the Somali president who is in constitutional limbo tweeted a message calling the regional state leaders to  a new meeting on 15th this month in Garowe, the seat of the Puntland State without consulting the leadership there first.

The members of Security Council of United Nations welcomed this announcement of further talks immediately. Soon afterwards, Puntland authority responded  by welcoming the meeting first in its official twitter, but said that meeting would be held in Mogadishu not in Puntland and advised that the other stakeholders  and International Community  are crucial to be there as well...

The Somali President, Mohamed Farmaajo, whose term finished on 7th of February  compromised the neutrality  of  the ‘United Nations’  on Somali political and constitutional crises. The institution did not notice  or check that Mr Farmaajo used the official presidential twitter to invite other regional state leaders to a sensitive meeting when others see him that he did not have the constitutional authority to do so.  

The is the second time that the UN has been knocked  out of balance in Somali politics. Its envoy recently seemed to suggest in an interview  that there were strong  legal bases that the Somali parliament's disputed constitutional amendment which allowed it and other government institutions to stay put, while the Somali legal experts had held the opposite view  and in support of the opposition groups.( many footages are in the social media). It is important to note that the opposition groups said that they expect the UN  to be a neutral and an honest  broker and they have their legal experts on this matter.

There is a critical dispute on the president's stance as national leader, because he is not there legally according to Somali Constitution or  he can not be there with effective force under his command in the eyes of Somali legal experts. Therefore, the statements of UN  are thought to be partial  and are seen to be supporting a lame duck by opposition groups and some regional leaders. 

 It is important to take a note that Puntland understands in Somali political dynamics  and it does not  want to have anything to do with Farmaajo’s misleading information and his attempt of driving a wedge between opposition. The UN is neutral body in Somali politics and it should have known that the president has been in legal trouble by staying power outside his term without a political agreement when he refused to work with other stakeholders before his time ran out. Puntland sees the importance of the announced meeting  and welcomes it, but questions the legal  authority of the announcer. 

It is relevant to acknowledge that the president was blaming Portland’s leader the failure of Desamareeb talks in his recent  speech in parliament.  Puntland  politicians are in good terms with all Somali politicians in every region and other stakeholders as demonstrated in last big meeting organised by Heritage Institute in Garowe and it does not want to risk its reputation  and involve itself what might be perceived by all Somalis to be the faults of uncompromising president whose term has expired.  

Critics believe that the UN knows the president Farmaajo  can not manage to invite other stakeholders on his own. The International Community had helped him to manage last meeting in Desamareeb  and he squandered it big time. Critics believe that without the help the UN envoy, nothing could have happened. The UN finds itself the same situation again and its reputation is at stake as no Somali part wants to flock a dead horse. 

Analysts acknowledge that many Somalis are wise and can see how the UN is likely to be trapped in Somali political web, if it  does not want its Somali mission to become like the ones in Yemen and Libya,  then it should correct its position and support the Somali led plans only. The US said that this is a Somali matter, let Somalis find a consensual solution which is short of violence and let them meet wherever they want. That is the only way the Somali democracy can blossom.  The end.

 Mohamed Mohamud Adde.

The author is an academic and an Independent Somali Political Analyst.