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When Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed was elected President of Somalia in February 2017, his supporters hoped he could be the answer to corruption and extremism in Africa’s most notorious failing state.
But the seasoned diplomat sparked a political crisis when he extended his tenure and failed to hold an election.
Cunning president
The 59-year-old father of four, popularly known as Farmajo (a name derived from the Italian word for cheese), spent several years studying and working in the United States, but renounced his US citizenship in 2019 .
Farmajo was elected president by MPs in a converted aircraft hangar after a six-month voting process marred by widespread allegations of vote-buying and corruption.
He inherited a deeply unstable nation where al-Shabaab jihadists still hold swathes of the countryside despite their rout of the capital Mogadishu in 2011.
“This is the start of unity for the Somali nation, the start of the fight against Shabaab and corruption,” said a triumphant Farmajo.
Born in Mogadishu to activist parents of the Darod clan, the politically savvy Farmajo was greeted by many Somalis who wanted change after a string of Hawiye presidents in a country where clan divisions dominate politics.
He himself had been Prime Minister during a brief stint in 2010-11 where he had notably set up the first monthly allowances for soldiers and set up an anti-corruption commission.
In 2011, after months of infighting over whether to hold a presidential election, an agreement was reached to postpone the vote in exchange for Farmajo’s resignation.
He agreed to step down as prime minister in “the interests of the Somali people”.
The following year, Farmajo and members of his former cabinet formed the Tayo (Quality) party, but after an unsuccessful run for president, he retired from politics for several years.
As president since 2017, he has taken a strong nationalist stance and, at one point, severed diplomatic ties with Kenya – an approach that won him the support of some Somalis, although he also did. many enemies.
A supporter of a strong central state, Farmajo has been accused of interfering in several state elections by trying to put his allies in power.
In April 2021, parliament extended Farmajo’s tenure after the agreement on new election conditions failed, sparking an unprecedented constitutional crisis and street battles in Mogadishu.
A rival described him as a “dictator” who wanted to stay in power by force.
Political newcomer
Mohamed Hussein Roble won unanimous parliamentary approval to become Prime Minister despite his status as a political neophyte, and even won over the opposition with his balanced approach to the organization of the long-delayed elections.
Although he lacks the oratory skills of his predecessor Hassan Ali Khaire, the Swedish-trained civil engineer is considered by many to be an outspoken person who understands the complex makeup of Somalia and is ready to openly discuss issues. .
The 57-year-old technocrat, who had worked at the UN’s International Labor Organization in Nairobi, first gave way to Farmajo.
But the two increasingly clashed as the prime minister assumed a more prominent role and challenged his boss on several key issues.
After the postponement crisis turned into violence this year, he vowed to lead the country towards “fair, free, fair and transparent elections.”
“I have no personal interest in this election and I have no one to ally with – all I work for is justice for all,” was his noble statement in June.
People who know Roble describe him as a man with simple tastes but who likes to do things his own way.
But some say his inexperience and tendency to make hasty decisions could make him vulnerable to exploitation by more powerful players.
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