Somaliland: mass cabinet resignations

Quitted ministers pledged loyalty to the nation and reiterated to run within the ruling party’s expected November contest that has sparked party split which resulted large scale senior government officials resignations including the most powerful man in cabinet, Hersi Haji Ali, a man famously known as the prime minister. In yesterday, 26^th October, Hersi, once the right hand of the president and the closest aide, unpredictably announced resignation along other ministers including presidential hopeful Mohamed Behi, former minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice, Minister of Public Works, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, and others.

The decision of the cabinet members and director general came after the president allegedly ordered his cabinet to back Muse Behi, a presidential hopeful and head of the ruling party. The news has shocked opponents of Musa Behi who have been in conflict with the party leadership since Kulmiye came in power in 2010. President’s allegiance for Musa, a veteran of Somali National Movement (SNM) which the president led in 1980s, amount power shift.

The row between two contesting camps in the ruling party is based on leadership struggle. One camp led by chairman of Kulmiye, Muse Behi, mostly comprises of SNM veterans, secured the support of the first lady, media reports claim. It is believed that due to this strong backing of the ruling family the president decided to move from his earlier position to the nomination of Muse Behi. The president has never publicly declared support to any group.

The other camp whose spiritually leader is Hersi Haji Ali, mostly consists of religious inclined politicians, and opponents who have historical opposition to Muse Behi. This group maintained strong positions in the government and almost run the country since 2010. Their preferred candidate was Abdiazis Mohamed Samale, an Islamist. But he resigned months ago from the cabinet after the president in reshuffle moved him from Ministry of Finance to Ministry of Education, a move Samale has seen as downgrading. The Minister of Industries resigned at that time in support of Samale.

 The resignation of Samale was big blow to his group whom from that date has been becoming distant from the president. To compensate the damage inflicted by the unilateral Samale’s decision, the group put forward as a candidate Mohamed Behi, who is not Islamists.

The Central Committee meeting is scheduled on 10^th November 2015 to select presidential candidate for the ruling party, Kulmiye, because the current president is not running for reelection. It is not yet clear if the mass resignations will benefit any candidate, but it created a concern in the country.   

Guleid Ahmed Jama

 This view is my own and I do not express in representing any entity.