Government crisis in Somalia: the president sacks the prime minister

In East Africa Somalia, President Abdullahi Farmajo sacked the prime minister and thus sparked a government crisis. Farmajo accused Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Robley of corruption and abuse of office this evening. Robles’ office denied the allegations. And surrounded the presidential guard, in the morning hours, the office of the Prime Minister in the capital, Mogadishu.

Farmajo said in a statement that Robley had confiscated land belonging to the Somali army for his personal use. In the country of about 16 million people in the Horn of Africa, there are frequent power struggles between the president and the prime minister.

In Somalia, which has been plagued by serious crises for decades, parliamentary and presidential elections are overdue. Farmajo’s term expired in February, but the elections were postponed due to disagreements over electoral procedures. Roble is tasked with organizing the elections, but Farmajo accuses the prime minister of failing and promoting division in the country. In return, Rupel accused the president of plotting to rig the elections.