By Faisal A. Roble
How did the momentum of Dusamareeb was lost? Who lost it? Those questions are not that difficult to answer.
Somalis collectively and invariably praised Galmudug’s role in hosting the preceding Dusamareeb1&2 proceedings. Accordingly, a real political capital was gained by Galmudug’s leadership and President Kariye’s (Qorqor) handlers. Some pundits threw on roses at the “emergent” Galmudug and its potential to connect the largely peaceful and stable Northeast region of Somalia with the often-chaotic South-central regions.
However, all that was lost instantly once President Qorqor fall for the lure of power, the high life in Mogadishu, and the glitz of Villa Somalia which Farmajo skillfully availed to this new kid on the block.
In his first public visit to Villa Somalia since he became the president of this restive state of Galmudug, President Farmajo threw red meat to and Qorqor sized it impatiently albeit to his demise.
Give us total control of the technicality of Dusamared 3 and we will give you the next big prize – the premiership was the stake of bargaining between the deviously skillful Farmajo and the unsuspecting giant gentle from the edges of the interior regions of the country. In other words, Qorqor could not resist the red meat Farmajo threw up for him.
According to sources close to Villa Somalia, Qorqor took the red meat and passed the baton and ownership of Dusamareeb 3 to Villa Somalia with the least resistance.
Eventually, Farmajo without leaving Villa Somalia took over the composition of the technical committee, the venue of the preparatory committee, and the secretariat of the entire proceedings. From there on, Farmajo both technically and politically took over Dusamareeb 3.
As a result, Galmudug leadership settled for being nothing more than a simple participant of the very convention it had all along claimed to organize, manage, and own its success. “We are not responsible for it,” told me an advisor to Qorqor.
Alas, “we are only a host responsible for giving the guests venues to meet and sleep,” was the answer I got from one of the closest advisors to Qorqor.
I pushed back and said, “Mr. John Doe, a host must do much more than that. For example, did you call Madobe and Deni?” His shocking response was: “Faisal, this is not the UN. Everyone shows up and we take them to the rest house.” It is not our meeting! It is Farmajo’s meeting! This conversation is taking place between myself and Qorqor’s close advisor only one day before the pouched press conference Mr. Qorqor gave to the nation last night.
I also learned later that two days prior to his departure to Dusamareeb, President Farmajo reached out and called Ahmed Madobe while in a hospital in Nairobi for a minor surgery. He only inquired about his nemesis health but never even mentioned Dusamareeb 3.
Neither did Galmudug team invite either Madobe or Deni in an official capacity. When I asked another Qorqor’s advisor, “who they expect to send out the invite or at least call these leaders,” the answer I got was “simply it is not our job!”
The gentleman telling me this was not an ignorant fellow. He was simply evasive and embarrassed for gambling on and then fumbling Dusamareeb 3. With that fumble, Galmudug’s recently gained fame faded away quickly, and perhaps embarrassingly so.
The aftermath press conference which Qorqor gave late last night (8/17/20) was unfortunately nothing but a confusing message trying to clear an earlier confusion Galmudg team created. Worse, Qorqor’s acceptance of the role of host entirely contradicts what they have been saying – that Galmudg does not invite or call anyone to this conference. If so, why bother to now enunciate what Galmudg sees as the right course? The right course was fumbled way before last night.
Farmajo outfoxed and outsmarted Galmudug. First, the Dusamareeb 1 & 2 alliance has been compromised; Second, Qorqor lost the first political capital he earned and three, Farmajo, unlike Galmudug leadership, is smiling on his way back to his loyal parliament, and he is defiantly rubbing salt on a sore point of the so-called forces for change (isbadel doon).
A well-placed Minister in Villa Somalia shared with me early on the game plan of Farmajo; He said: this “Farmajo will circulate and negotiate with Qorqor on who the next Prime Minister will be – someone from South Galkayo.”Hearing this, in the aftermath of Dusamareeb 2, a few elites claiming close to Qorqor threw their hats into the competition for the premier position. They prematurely undressed themselves in front of Farmajo letting him clearly gaze at their personal vulnerability.
Whether one agrees or not, Famajo’s move to undermine Dusamareeb 3 by using Qoqor and his team could be billed as a political ingenuity, although vicious and ferocious vis-à-vis the nation’s journey to an all-inclusive electoral model.
The president whose time is to end soon exploited skillfully the lack of experience in the inner circle of Galmudug. He has succeeded for now to retard the momentum of the Somalia journey to agree on an electoral model for a power transfer by February 2021.
He did so manipulating and winning over Glamudug leadership thus killing the long-awaited Dusamareeb 3 – a potential final phase of what could have been a historical journey.
Faisal A. Roble
Email: [email protected]
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Faisal Roble, a writer, political analyst and a former Editor-in-Chief of WardheerNews, is mainly interested in the Horn of Africa region. He is currently the Principal Planner for the City of Los Angeles in charge of Master Planning, Economic Development and Project Implementation Division.
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