Somali Activists call on US, international community to save Somalia’s democracy

Somali Social and political activists in the United States have gathered at the Somali embassy in the United States to demand the preservation of democracy in Somalia, as Somalia is currently in an unpredictable political situation. The calls come as some in the international community are concerned about the political situation in Somalia and the Security Council has called on the government to hold elections as soon as possible.

At a rally outside the Somali embassy in Washington, Somalis called on the United States to recognize its obligations to the Somalia, which is in a state of disarray due to a lack of trust among politicians. They demanded that the international community take part in an important issue like Somalia to save the country from political setback Protesters say the government’s delay in the election has led to political distrust.

Somalia is facing a difficult political environment as no agreement has been reached on the dispute between the government and regional administrations over electoral issues. More than four meetings convened by the Somalia government have failed, and it is clear that the outgoing government of Farmajo is still holding on to power as its term draws to a close. This has caused concern among the Somali people, the international community and all stakeholders in Somalia

Ali Chengal, a Somali human rights activist, said the situation in the country was not good and fears were growing a day after another setback in anti-terrorism efforts, especially after the United States withdraws its troops from Somali territory, showing his optimistic about the new US administration led by President Biden to return to normalcy and the need to counter al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab in the northeast.

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The current political turmoil is due to the government’s failure to hold elections before the end of its term. As a result, the government’s term ended, and opposition leaders withdrew their recognition of President Farmajo after February 8th.

However, the international community has suggested that the government implement the agreement reached in September last year to achieve a credible election. Various calls have also been made by the Somali public and academics. This time, Somali citizens demand that the United States and the international community play a key role in safeguarding democracy in Somalia as the country crosses a dangerous juncture.