Roble had written to the African Union declaring Mozambican diplomat Francisco Madeira persona non grata.

IN SUMMARY

• President Farmaajo said he did not okay the expulsion and the prime minister does not have the power to make the decision alone.
• He said Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not submitted reports indicating that Amb Madeira opposed the independence of the country.

Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo on Thursday dismissed Prime Minister Hussein Roble’s decision to expel an African Union envoy over misconduct.

In a letter dated on April 6, PM Roble had notified the African Union Commission Chairperson that the Somali Government had declared Mozambican diplomat Francisco Madeira persona non grata “for engaging in acts that are incompatible with his status” as representative of the African Union Commission and is ordered to leave Somalia within 48 hours.

Madeira is the Special Representative of the African Union Commission Chairperson for Somalia (SRCC).

No details of the alleged acts of misconduct were given by the Prime Minister. But the move came five months after Madeira’s deputy, Ugandan diplomat Simon Mulongo, was shown the door after being accused of similar acts last year.

International relations

In a statement Thursday, President Farmaajo said he did not okay the expulsion and the prime minister does not have the power to make the decision alone.

“The said order [to expel Madeira] had been issued by an office with no powers to act alone on such a weighty issue,” the statement by Villa Somalia said.

“It is a decision that needs to be carefully taken, requiring consensus…There is no authentication by the President of the Republic in regards to acts against Ambassador Madeira.”

Farmaajo further stated that Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not submitted reports indicating that Amb Madeira opposed the independence of the country.

The president instructed the Foreign Affairs ministry to discharge its functions by letting the AU Commission know that the envoy’s expulsion was not adopted by all the organs of the State of Somalia.

SOURCE: The East African