MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – An alliance of 14 opposition presidential candidates have called for the immediate resignation of Somalia’s intelligence chief Fahad Yasin, accusing him of bias and being the incumbent president’s campaign manager.
In a communiqué issued following a six-day conference in the capital Mogadishu, presidential candidates demanded the resignation of the Somali intelligence chief Fahad Yasin, a man the opposition figures described as the government’s most powerful man who in their own words exercises unauthorized maneuvers in abuse of power and in blatant disregard to the country’s constitution.
Somali intelligence chief, a former Aljazeera Arabic correspondent has earlier been accused of orchestrating attacks on opposition figures including the 2017 raid on the home of Abdirahman Abdishakur, the leader of Wadajir party – that left five people dead and more than $500,000 dollars lost.
Mr Yasin has never appeared on media to comment on allegations conveyed against him and is believed to have growing ties with Qatar’s government that earned him major funding packages aimed at maintaining president Farmajo’s grip on power, a prospect the opposition fears could plunge the country into further unrest and chaos while the militant group Al-Shabaab is still at the gates of Mogadishu, the federal government’s power base.
Former president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and a member of opposition presidential candidates alliance launched a blistering attack on Mr Yasin earlier this week and accused him of “ruining the country’s politics” after failing in his responsibilities as the national intelligence head.
The opposition request has come following a six-day conference held in the capital Mogadishu which presidential candidates said aimed to unify stance ahead of the country’s presidential election slated for February next year.
In addition to the call for intelligence chief’s resignation, the opposition leaders demanded the dissolution of federal and regional electoral commissions allegedly comprising supporters of the incumbent president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and suggested that other committees be appointed in consultation with all political stakeholders.
The federal government has not yet responded to the opposition demands and earlier insisted on keeping the commissions it said had been formed in consistence with previous deal reached with regional states.
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