Farmajo's Farce

The appointment of Hassan Kheyre as Somalia’s new prime minister by the country’s president, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, has sent shockwaves through the country, leaving many political commentators bemused and the public surprised.

There are many reasons for this reaction, not least of which is that fact that Kheyre, a Norwegian citizen, was an ally of President Hassan S. Mohamoud (HSM) and campaigned for him, despite well-placed rumors that he contributed financially to Farmajo’s campaign. Like many “astute” politicians, Kheyre’s duplicitous support for the two rivals for presidency clearly shows that either result would be a win-win situation for him. But the real brain teaser here is why Farmajo appointed Kheyre as his premier, knowing that the latter had campaigned openly for HSM. HSM even tried to nominate Kheyre for an IGAD job, but Ethiopia and Kenya rejected him after a UN monitoring group had accused him of graft.

It is extraordinary that Kheyre has been appointed to such a high office in government, not only in light of the investigation into his affairs by the UN Monitoring Group for Somalia and Eritrea, but also because of the serious allegations levelled against him regarding corruption and alleged ties with Al-Shabaab. While the UN Monitoring Group is not a prosecutorial entity, these allegations warrant an independent investigation. It would have been prudent for Farmajo, widely hailed as an anti-corruption candidate, to select someone else not tainted by allegations of corruption. Some Somalis are alarmed by Farmajo’s choice of Kheyre because they had such high expectations of him naming a non-controversial figure.

Kheyre has no government experience. He has carried out extensive humanitarian work and is known to be smart and engaging. His detractors, however, say he is what Somalis call “nin fudud” (a man given to rash decisions). Some people who have met him have appraised him in positive terms, while others have expressed concern about his lack of experience for taking the helm of government. It is the same old story of on the job training we have been accustomed to in Somali politics; figures such as former presidents HSM and Sheikh Sharif and former prime ministers such as Abdi Shirdon, Abdiweli Sheikh, and Farmajo himself—in his first stint as a premier in 2010—being placed in leadership positions. The country, it seems, is always trying to reinvent the wheel.

Kheyre’s appointment came as a surprise as he belongs to a sub-clan (Murursade) of Hawiye that has historically never held either the presidency or the premiership. A group of Hawiye traditional leaders met Farmajo recently and implored him to appoint a Hawiye—any Hawiye—as his prime minister. However, a Somali politician, a Murusade, called me one week before Kheyre’s appointment to tell me an odd story. He said the Murursade chieftain and elders met with Farmajo separately and pleaded with him to appoint a Murursade premier. “For 30 years, no member of our clan has represented our country as president or prime minister,” the elders lamented.

When I heard Kheyre had been appointed premier, I dismissed it as a joke. I thought Farmajo would appoint the usual suspects: either Abgaal or Habar Gidir. For once, I even thought he might appoint Abdinur Mohamed (Hawadle), who had once served as Education Minister under Farmajo. According to sources, Abdinur had secretly, but vigorously, campaigned to get the top job. In the end, Farmajo, whose wife is a Murursade, defied political convention and appointed a Murursade premier. There are reports that Kheyre is also married to a woman from Farmajo’s clan. Clan politics are never far from major government appointments.

Fahad Yasin Factor

Fahad Yasin Haji Dahir, a former employee of al-Jazeera, is a political operative who is closely allied with Farmajo and currently wields unusual power in his transition. Did Fahad bring loads of money from the Gulf countries to Farmajo’s presidential campaign? On July, 2013, the UN Monitoring Group accused Fahad and Abdi Aynte, also a former employee of al-Jazeera, of bringing millions of dollars from Qatar for then-candidate HSM “which was used to buy off political support.”

Fahad was once an ally of HSM until the two had a disagreement over Farmajo. In 2013, Fahad earnestly tried to persuade President HSM to appoint Farmajo as premier. HSM agreed, but at the 11^th hour, he changed his mind and instead appointed Abdiweli S. Ahmed. It was widely believed Farah Abdulkadir (Fahad’s uncle and then influential presidential advisor) had blocked Farmajo’s appointment. Fahad was so disappointed with HSM that their relationship soured.

Now Fahad is back on the political scene with verve. He and Dahir Ghelle, Somalia’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, were instrumental in Farmajo’s first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia. There is a fear that Fahad Yasin will be another Farah Abdulkadir-type politician, a Rasputin-like figure capable of influencing the new Farmajo Government.

It is likely that Somalia’s parliament will approve Kheyre’s appointment. The chance of the legislature holding exhaustive hearings about Kheyre and his past business dealings is slim. Farmajo will have his nominee approved. The question then will be what type of cabinet Kheyre will nominate. Will they be the same old faces we have seen in HSM’s failed government? Will the new ministers be as inexperienced as the new premier? There is concern that HSM, despite being defeated in the presidential elections, will wield some power in the new government. If that is the case, an old Somali proverb will once again find credence: “Ayax teg eelna reep” (The locust flew away, but it left hardship).  

President Farmajo: Between Hope and Reality

This week, Somalia elected a new president, Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo,” an event that marked the second time in recent history an incumbent president lost the election. It happened in 2012 and again in 2017, just like Donald Trump’s surprise win, Farmajo’s election was unexpected, and it upended my prediction that the incumbent, Hassan S. Mohamoud (HSM), would be returned to power.

Mohamoud’s defeat was actually a blessing; the man was corrupt and incompetent. Moreover, HSM and his Dammul Jadid coterie of followers, grabbed more power than they could handle, and they will not be missed.

Now the new president has his hands full. He inherits a government that has plundered public funds, failed to pay the salaries of civil servants and the army, and was unable to maintain security.

Farmajo is a politician with a clean slate. He was prime minister in 2010 for eight months. Prior to that, he had a few years’ experience in the Foreign Service and then spent some time working for the State of New York in Buffalo as a housing specialist. His eight months as prime minister were neither remarkable nor disastrous. He was forced out of office after clashing with the then Speaker, Sharif Hassan. In short, Farmajo was outwitted and outmaneuvered by the Speaker until he was forced out of office.

Scattered protests supporting Farmajo, the beleaguered premier, were held in Mogadishu, but he opted to resign. According to some reports, the Ugandan President, Yuweri Moseveni, whose soldiers were protecting the Somali leaders in Mogadishu, told Farmajo the African soldiers would not guarantee his safety if he stayed in office. Unfortunately, some Somalis viewed his resignation in a decidedly negative light and branded him a quitter.

Farmajo fared poorly in the 2012 presidential elections failing to garner enough votes even from his clansmen. In fact, it was the newcomer, HSM, who stole the limelight, thrashing Sharif Ahmed, who was expected to win the election. Farmajo was still coming to terms with his crushing loss when he decided to return to his old desk job in Buffalo. His political career briefly stagnated and he took stock of his political future.

Farmajo’s comeback is a testament to his doggedness and commitment to redeem himself. Now he has been given a second chance in Villa Somalia, the seat of the government. He is enjoying remarkable support in the streets of Mogadishu, where he remains popular. Somalis have a history of lionizing their new presidents initially, and later vilifying them for poor performance. Farmajo is unlikely to be an exception. The pervasive euphoria in the streets of Mogadishu today will be numbered as Farmajo delves into the perilous task of governing a failed state.

There is a good chance that Farmajo will attempt to drain the swamp in Mogadishu and restore clean, transparent governance. He is uniquely qualified to start a reconciliation process as he is remarkably popular in the south, where his wife, Seynab Abdi Moalim Abdalla, hails from. Farmajo’s detractors are concerned he is a populist, an incorrigible showman who sometimes resorts to hyperbolic language. He is at best a “nice” politician, they say, in a rather cutthroat profession. His detractors see him a man who lacks substance, but he now has the perfect opportunity to prove them wrong. His supporters regard him as an interesting leader with tremendous positive energy; a man of the people, by the people, and for the people.

It is not clear how Jubbaland and Puntland would react to Farmajo’s presidency. Puntland is led by Abdiweli Gass, an old nemesis of Farmajo, who gave Gass a cabinet portfolio only to see the latter replace his boss as premier. The relationship was never the same afterwards as it plummeted to new depths. The once good friends back in Buffalo are no longer on speaking terms. Hopefully, they will set aside their personal and political animus and work toward the welfare of the country.

Jubbaland’s case is different and murkier because that region has been a political battleground between the Ogaden clan and Marehan, Farmajo’s clan. Clan politics in Somalia have a way of keeping national leaders on a downward trajectory.  

Here are some recommendations for the new president:

1.     Appoint a competent prime minister who will name equally qualified cabinet members. It is time for Somalia to have experienced, honest, and nationalist ministers whose loyalty is primarily to the motherland. The last government was stacked with many incompetent, baby-faced, ideological allies of the president. It was an administration that helped its employees replenish their resumes, but who accomplished little.  

2.     Ensure that women become an integral part of the government’s leadership. No more tokenism and no more traditional leaders usurping the right of women to participate, lead, and participate in the decision making process.

3.     Appoint an independent commission to investigate past corruption cases and possible graft allegations in the government. This commission, given full authority, would restore hope in the people’s confidence in the government and eradicate Somalia’s reputation as the most corrupt country in the world.

4.     Complete the work that has started in reviewing and amending the provisional constitution, a document HSM ignored and trampled on. Farmajo can help in making the country one in which the rule of law is respected and enforced.  

5.     Work on the reconciliation process to unite Somalis and restore peace amongst them. This can be done partly by establishing a truth and reconciliation commission, as South Africa did. It is time for Somalis to talk openly about their grievances, the return of lost properties, and past wrongdoings, and engage in genuine confidence building. Only then can the country move forward.

6.     Farmajo should work hand in hand with legislators to form an independent judiciary. The judicial branch will check and balance the powers of the executive and the legislature. It must have its own funds to operate in order to avoid the current system in which justice is for sale.

7.     Somalia must strengthen its army, pay its soldiers timeously, and slowly but gradually replace the 22,000 African troops in Mogadishu. It is embarrassing that foreign troops have to protect the Somali president.

8.     Al-Shabaab terrorists are still a threat to the country and must be fought relentlessly. First, Farmajo must have a strategy to combat terror. A campaign to clean up the police and intelligence forces of militant sympathizers is paramount. Second, the militant group is present in the capital and enjoys the support of certain business conglomerates. This group runs a sophisticated network that is involved in extortion and racketeering. There are those in Mogadishu who harbor al-Shabaab militants because they are “their sons.” This culture of complicity and duplicity will take some time to eradicate. The Al-Shabaab group still collects a percentage of the salaries of government employees, who hand over the money for fear of being assassinated. The same is true of small and big businesses that pay money monthly.

9.     Engage with the Somalis in the diaspora because they are an asset to the country. Over two million Somalis live abroad. Tap into these talents, investments, and advance their involvement in the country’s affairs.

Farmajo’s win is a victory for all Somalis. It is a victory for change, a new beginning for a war-torn country, and a new horizon, but the new administration has a lot of work to do. Let us all hope that Farmajo overcomes the challenges and works hard in make Somalia great again.

Five Signs You Are In A Relationship With A Sociopath

Many years ago, I worked in California with a young woman who had moved from El Paso, Texas. She was dating a man who was head over heels in love with her. He often visited her in the office and brought her flowers. After a while, the couple married and were blessed with a beautiful daughter. I switched jobs and moved on, however, several years later, I ran into the young lady. I asked her about her family. “I am raising my daughter alone,” she told me, “My ex-husband became violent and a cheater.” I was baffled by the turn of events. I wondered if her ex-husband’s behavior could have been detected earlier. How did a gentle, loving, and romantic man turn into a monster?

Sociopathy is a mental health disorder that features a sheer disregard for other people. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Disorders (DSM-V) defines a sociopath as someone who has “an inflated sense of self.” He acts like he is God’s gift to the world and feels no qualms boasting about his talents, accomplishments, sexual prowess, and physical attractiveness. Dr. Martha Stout, the author of The Sociopath Next Door (2005) wrote that 4% of the population can be characterized as conscienceless sociopaths, or 1 in every 25 people. While there are female sociopaths, men are three times more likely to be one. It is likely that you know a sociopath: a lover, neighbor, or a boss. The following are typical signs of a sociopath.

1.     Charm and Charisma

The first time a woman meets a sociopath, she is struck by his charm, wit, friendliness, helpfulness, and attention to detail. A sociopath targets his victim with almost surgical precision. He showers her with gifts, flowers, and, most of all, undivided attention. Phone calls, text messages, and emails pour down like rain. The victim feels flattered by the careful, calibrated excess of attention she is suddenly experiencing. However, she may also feel suffocated by loss of space or quality time for her family and friends. A sociopath wants the woman to spend all her time with him and, in the process, makes her the center of his attention, indeed, the focus of his universe.

According to Dr. Stout the danger is, “once the surface charm is scraped off, [a sociopath’s] marriage is loveless, one-sided, and almost always short-term. If a marriage partner has any value to the sociopath, it is because the partner is viewed as a possession, one that the sociopath may feel angry to lose, but never sad or accountable.”

A sociopath is a master of disguise and can concoct a manufactured love, and fake emotions.  He can easily walk away without showing any emotion or feeling an ounce of guilt. The victim, who has put so much time and effort into the relationship, finds herself dazed, bewildered, hurt, and anguished.

2.     Lack of Empathy

Empathy is putting yourself with someone’s shoes and understanding how that person feels. A sociopath lacks empathy, or the ability to feel remorse. A sociopath does not feel bad about the emotional pain he inflicts on his lover. He can stay clinically detached and, hence, loses no sleep over his lover’s emotional torment. It is she who is stressed about the relationship, not him.

3.     Jealousy and Paranoia

Among the signs of a sociopath is likely to exhibit are jealousy and a sense of paranoia. He is suspicious and jealous of other people in her life. Past relations are zealously scrutinized and, if possible, used against her. A sociopath is more likely to accuse his partner ofcheating, when perhaps he is the guilty party. The woman finds that she is constantly defending herself from false accusations.

4.     Secretiveness

A sociopath reveals little about himself even though he talks incessantly about various subjects. He has no connection with his past and maintains superficial friendships. A partner is not likely to meet someone important in his past or witness his family members visit him or interact with him in any meaningful way. Some sociopaths conceal a significant portion of their lives for fear they may expose their dark past. Moreover, they do not like exposure and tend to ask their lovers not to share too much about them.

As an example, one married man in California concealed from his wife he had another woman and five children back in Africa. When his wife became suspicious of the hundreds of dollars he was sending every month allegedly to his “mother,” his secret was exposed.

5.     Lying

Sociopaths are pathological liars. When confronted, they tend to change the subject, blame others for their deception, or get angry and instead highlight others’ shortcomings. It is a habit to deflect blame. A sociopath does not own up to his mistakes and takes no responsibility for his actions. This is because he does not believe he has done anything wrong—it is his partner who is at fault.

One man offered to add his fiancé to his cell phone plan. What seemed an act of generosity to her turned into a ploy to spy on her activities. When she told him she was leaving his plan, he was flabbergasted and accused her of cheating on him. He bellowed, “What are you hiding from me?”

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Honeyed Words
A sociopath has a list of phrases he likes to use, as compiled by Paula Carrasquillo, author of Escaping from the Boy: My life with a sociopath:

1.     “You are the love of my life.”

2.     “I have never known anyone like you.”

3.     “You are perfect for me.”

4.     “I never want to leave your side.”

5.     “You are the most beautiful person I have ever met.”

6.     “We are perfect for each other.”

7.     “You are exactly what I have been looking for my entire life.”

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The Way Out

One big mistake many women make is they believe that a sociopath will change. A sociopath is not capable of change nor does he have the motivation to change. He is in the relationship for personal gain, and she is clearly his most precious possession. Mary Jo Buttafucoo, now Mary Jo Connery, knew better when her chronically philandering husband cheated on her with a teen and the young girl shot Mary Jo in the face. When asked why it took her so long to leave her duplicitous husband, Mary Jo said, “I stuck it out during the bad times because the good times were fantastic.”

Therefore, how does a woman extricate herself from a relationship with a sociopath?

1.     Seek professional help. A sociopath inflicts so much pain on his victim that she finds herself at the edge of the cliff, whether it is emotional turmoil, low self-esteem, or financial ruin. A professional will help you deal with these issues and guide you to overcome the emotional roller coaster you may experience.

2.     Disassociate yourself with anything that connects you with the sociopath. No phone calls, texts, emails, or any physical contact. There is nothing beneficial that comes from staying in contact with him. In the beginning, it will be painful to cut yourself off from him, but the farther you stay away from him the better. A sociopath may disappear from your life, but he is more likely to reappear and pursue you vigorously.

3.     Change your phone, if possible, and make sure to take necessary security precautions. The sociopath may pursue you after you separate from him and even electronically monitor your activities. One woman found her cell phone bugged and her email account hacked many years after her divorce. Unfortunately, police were not willing to investigate the matter and she had to fend for herself.

4.      Surround yourself with people who care about you and love you. Your family can provide moral support, as can your close friends.

Removing yourself from a relationship with a sociopath can be difficult, but it is better for your physical and emotional health in the long run. If you are in a relationship with a sociopath, get out, seek help, and eventually you will find peace and safety in your life.

(Reprinted with permission from Sahan Journal, February 7, 2017).