Somalia: President Mohamud survives impeachment as Speaker withdraws motion

Somalia’s parliamentary speaker has withdrawn an impeachment motion brought against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud – the latest crisis to threaten the country’s stability as it struggles to rebound from 2 decades of chaos and war.

Legislators in Somalia last month filed the motion against Mohamud, accusing him of abuse of office and “betraying the country”. Mohamud has said he is committed to holding elections before his term runs out in August 2016.

Regional envoys have urged a rapid resolution to the crisis.

“We have dropped the motion against the president,” parliament’s speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari said late on Friday, adding he had convened a meeting on October 7 to try to resolve the issues raised in the motion.

Jawari said he made his decision because the majority of parliament’s 275 lawmakers wanted the motion resolved through dialogue. “This also came after considering the political, security and economic situation of the country and the short period available,” he added.

Legislators have complained Mohamud’s cash-strapped government is not doing enough to fight graft which they say has frustrated efforts to build a functioning state.

A 2013 corruption scandal involving the repatriation of overseas Somali state assets frozen at the outset of civil war in 1991 has further strained his relationship with the legislators. Mohamud and those close to him have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.