The resolution of the Somalia crisis is of concern to the African Union. On Friday, the mainland organization appointed former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama as High Representative to help the political class break the deadlock by holding the elections.
“As the High Representative for the political dimension of Somalia, President Mahama will work with the Somali parties to reach a mutually acceptable compromise towards a comprehensive resolution for the holding of elections as soon as possible,” said a statement from the AU.
AU commission chairman Moussa Faki “calls on Somali stakeholders to negotiate in good faith (…) in the search for an inclusive settlement of the electoral crisis.” “This should pave the way for a democratically elected government endowed with the legitimacy and mandate necessary to resolve the outstanding political and constitutional problems which constitute a threat to the stability of the country and the region,” continued the Chadian diplomat.
The former Ghanaian Head of State from 2012 to 2017 will fly to Somalia in the coming days. Somalia has been going through a deep political crisis for several weeks, triggered by the announcement on April 12 of the two-year extension of the mandate of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as Farmajo, which expired on February 8 without elections having been held.
This decision has been condemned by the Somali opposition and the international community. Faced with pressure from the streets, the head of state instructed the prime minister to start talks for the holding of the elections.
