Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo. The president has
renounced his second citizenship of the United States. PHOTO | AFP
Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has cemented his
nationalistic credentials by renouncing his American citizenship as the
electioneering race heats up.
On Thursday, President
Farmaajo, who had acquired his US citizenship by naturalisation after
serving as a Somali diplomat there, said with that decision behind him,
he can now focus on his work.
“I am proud to serve my
people and always believe in their potential to rebuild this nation. I
am neither discouraged by our past, nor daunted by the enormity of the
task ahead,” he said.
The Provisional Federal
Constitution allows Somalis to retain their citizenship status, even
when they become nationals of other countries.
Additionally,
dual nationality status does not prevent them from becoming president.
Three past Somali presidents had foreign passports.
Dr Abdiwahab Sheikh, who commentates on Horn of Africa issues, says the president move was a step in the right direction.
“It will boost his campaign and earn him political lifeline,” he
argued, referring to the upcoming elections in 2020. No Somali
president in this transition period has managed to be voted back into
power.
Though both US and Somali laws allow dual
nationality, Americans are critical of dual nationals holding political
positions abroad and would be reluctant to accord diplomatic protocol
should they visit.
According to the US Immigration and
Nationality Act, foreigners seeking to be citizens by naturalisation
must renounce any nobility or political titles they hold in foreign
countries.
According to Section 337, they also renounce
“all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state,
or sovereignty of whom or which the petitioner was before a subject or
citizen.”
Some observers say this may have been the
reason President Farmaajo has failed to travel to the US for the annual
UN General Assembly meetings since he took power.
“He
could not travel to the US on a diplomatic passport, and if he travelled
on an ordinary American passport, he couldn’t easily secure clearance
to the conference halls,” Saed Faadi, a Somali governance expert and
former government official, told The EastAfrican.
Being
president of Somalia meant he still held allegiance to the country,
despite prohibition from US laws that granted him the second
nationality, argued Faad who said President Farmaajo would have a
divided opinion if, say the US declared war on Somalia.
Bigger battle
Back
home, though, President Farmaajo is facing a bigger battle in the
federal states, some of which have either suspended ties with Mogadishu
over alleged meddling or criticised him for sponsoring opponents against
sitting federal state leader.
The disputes have stalled constitutional review talks, key to holding a one-man-one vote election planned for 2020.
In
Jubbaland, which will hold local elections on August 24, President
Farmaajo has been at loggerheads with incumbent federal President Sheikh
Ahmed Madobe, on the composition of the key elders’ council and rules
for candidates that placed exorbitant fees on contestants.
Abdirazak
Mohamed, a former security minister and current MP in the federal
parliament, thinks the president has been interfering.
“When
it comes to state elections in the federal system, it is always the
state that has the sole responsibility of administering its elections,”
he argued.
“The Federal government of Somalia is trying
to sway the election in Jubbaland in favour of its own candidate in a
blatant violation of our Constitution.”
The tug-of-war
over the nature of electoral processes have roped in Al Shabaab
militants who are also demanding a stake in controlling who votes.
Two
weeks ago, the Al-Qaeda-linked group ordered all the elders and
delegates that choose the members of Somalia’s federal legislative (the
lower and the upper chamber — Senate) and the state councils to register
themselves with Al Shabaab within 45 days.
The
directive rivals that of mainstream authorities that routinely register
the elders who in turn vote for MPs that elect the president.
“The
political squabbles between the federal government and the federal
state governments creates a vacuum that Al Shabaab exploits to attack
and kill government officials and civilians,” Abdirazak Mohamed
observed.
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