— When Abdi Said Musse Ali, Somalia’s foreign minister, assumed responsibility for the ministry in 2021, he outlined how the ministry operates.
“The President of Somalia is in charge of the country’s foreign policy. In a video clip widely shared on social media, Abdi Said said, “He tasks the Prime Minister with the implementation of the policy.”
The squabble over declaring African Union Special Representative Ambassador Francisco Madeira persona non grata based on a prime ministerial edict makes this video clip timely. Somalia’s President, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, has overturned Somalia’s Prime Minister, Mohamed Hussein Roble’s decision to declare Ambassador Madeira persona non grata.
President Mohamed’s letter of 7 December was received “with appreciation” by African Union Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat, who reaffirms “the commitment of the Federal Government of Somalia to continue its working relationship with Ambassador Madeira in particular, and the new AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in general.”