Somalia, a country in the Horn of Africa which is ravaged by unending wars, political instabilities and famines has seen a long and awaited controversial presidential elections on 15 May of this year, in which more than 30 candidates run for the highest position in the country, by the end of the election there was only one winner, that winner was the former president Hassan Sheikh Mohammud who was re-elected for a second term, and as the Constitution states the first step he took was appointing a prime minister, he didn’t look far away, he chose his close friend and Associate Mr. Hamza Hussien Barre as the prime minister.
Prime Minister Hamza didn’t wait for too long, he started discussions and consultations with political stakeholders and intellectuals, after hearing their suggestions he formed a Capable cabinet of ministers who got the approval of the parliament in a landslide vote of confidence today, that means the honeymoon or the months of building a new government has come to an end, and the new government and its cabinet of ministers must start the actual duties that awaits them.
There are a lot of tasks that need to be done, and the most important tasks the newly formed government must carry out are:
The first and foremost task to carry out is, completing the unfinished Constitution which had been a hurdle toward nation-building in Somalia, because it was and still is the main reason for the repeated squabbles between the federal government and regional states, as there are no clear boundaries to where does the authority of the federal government ends or the regional state authority begins.
The second most important thing the newly formed government must tackle is the severe famine that had devastated vast parts of the country, as of today the world health organization has estimated that the famine has affected more than three million Somalis, who mostly live-in rural areas and don’t have the basic necessities one need, it’s up to the government responsibility to support the downtrodden, and to distribute and divide International donations fairly to the poor and the needy families.
In addition to that, the new government must pass laws and regulations that confront the wide-scale corruption that has taken our country on a downward spiral, for example, Somalia is ranked as the second most corrupted country after South Sudan, this is not a good thing to celebrate as it will lead to push possible donors and investors away from the country, and it will also have severe repercussions on nation-building efforts in Somalia.
Furthermore, the restoration and the reform in the military have to be continued, which means tribalism and nepotism must be eradicated from army and the high command in general, so that we have a capable military that will take the responsibility of securing the country from ATMIS when their tour ends in 2024.
Another important and sought-after aspiration is, accelerating the Democratization process in the country and building a societal code of conduct that will mold the fabric of the society together, so that by the end of the term of this government in 2026 a Democratic election can be held.
Moreover, we live in a changing world where the friend of today is the enemy of tomorrow, to illustrate more, he horn of Africa is seeing a competition between two super powers like the united states and China who are competing for the resources of eastern African countries, and they are also forcing countries to fell in to their sphere of influence as the two superpowers are in race against time for international hegemony, so the Somali government must tread carefully when dealing with these two giants, that means staying away from possible agreements or coalitions that will do harm to our sovereignty or national interests.
Taking everything into account, I pray to Allah to guide our leaders to the best possible solutions and decisions that will help them steer this country safely, and also our leaders need to realize that history will judge them according to what they do or perform, and once history is made it can not be erased, so they must work hard to leave a lasting legacy and progress for future generations.
By IIlyas Mohamed – ilyaasmaxamed145@gmail.com
