IGAD calls for peaceful elections in Somalia and Kenya

IGAD | KENYA | SOMALIA 

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has rallied its member states, Somalia and Kenya to ensure that they hold peaceful and orderly elections as scheduled.

The IGAD Council of Ministers during their 72nd Extra-Ordinary Session held last month, commended the people and Governments of Uganda, Ethiopia and Djibouti for conducting peaceful and orderly elections and thus, called upon, “Somalia and Kenya to similarly hold peaceful and orderly polls as per their election calendars.”

The Republic of Kenya is set to hold its general election on August 9, 2022 while political leaders in the Federal Republic of Somalia agreed last week that the country’s delayed presidential election will be held on October 10, 2021.

Having assumed office in 2013, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, is serving his second and last term in respect to a new constitutional order that introduced a two term limit to the highest office in that land.

Neighboring Kenya’s electoral processes have in the past been defined by tension and violence with the 2007 bloodletting eruption pushing the East African economic powerhouse to a near humanitarian crisis after the election of former President Mwai Kibaki was rejected as manipulated by supporters of his opponent, Raila Odinga.

Subsequently, the nullification of Kenyatta’s 2017 reelection bid by the Supreme Court following complainants by his main challenger Odinga equally raised the stakes.

In Somalia, the term of the incumbent President, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who has been in office since the February 2017, expired February 8, 2021.

IGAD appreciated the progress in the implementation of the elections process Agreements and extended its full support to Prime Minister of Somalia Mohamed Roble and all the other stakeholders for making strides toward a democratic path.

“We congratulate President Abdullahi, Prime Minister Roble, the leaders of the five regional states and aspiring candidates for arriving at a consensus that ended the long-standing impasse and laid a roadmap to the presidential and parliamentary elections in Somalia,” the ministers said pledging full support to the terror infested country.

The IGAD council of ministers said they welcome the, “historic outcomes of the Somali-led and Somali-owned dialogue for the process of an inclusive and credible election based on the Agreements of September 17, 2020 and May 27, 2021,” and towards this end urged all stakeholders to continue the dialogue, “in the spirit of collegiality and compromise and exude wisdom and leadership.”

Prior to the end of his term, President Abdullahi and the leaders from the other five states were engaged in a prolonged disagreement over terms of the vote which sparked a constitutional crisis.

In April, the constitutional stalemate coupled with Parliament’s decision to extend Abdullahi’s term by two years triggered a spate of gun violence in the capital Mogadishu, forcing Government to renegotiate with the five state leaders for a new electoral roadmap.

Regional leaders and international partners have thus been urged by IGAD to offer technical and financial resources for Somalia to implement the Agreements and hold peaceful, credible and all-inclusive elections.

The meeting also resolved to renew calls for the international community to redouble concerted efforts in supporting the fight against Al-Shabab in Somalia and commended the two countries in question for restoring the presence of their respective Ambassadors in their respective stations of posting in Nairobi and Mogadishu.

“We encourage the two countries to sustain engagements in line with the principles of IGAD, the African Union and the United Nations that advocate for peaceful coexistence,” the ministers said.

The meeting chaired by Dr. Mariam Al-Sadig Al-Mahdi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sudan was also attended by counterparts from Uganda, Lt. Gen. Jeje Odongo, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and Birtukan Ayano of Ethiopia.

Other foreign affairs ministers in attendance were Ababu Namwamba of Kenya and Somalia’s Mohamed Abdirizak as well as Beatrice Khamisa Wani from South Sudan.