Mogadishu, Dec 27, (dpa/GNA) – Somali President, Abdullah Farmajo, has sidelined the country’s prime minister, Mohamed Hussein Roble, marking the latest chapter in the men’s long-running feud.
In a statement released late Sunday, Farmajo said he was suspending all executive day-to-day activities from Roble, citing allegations of corruption and abuse of power.
Roble’s office rejected the allegations.
On Monday morning, the presidential guard had surrounded the prime minister’s office in the capital Mogadishu.
In the statement, Farmajo accused Roble of grabbing land belonging to the Somali national army.
The head of state and head of government have repeatedly clashed in Somalia, which has been plagued by crises for decades.
Parliamentary and presidential elections are long overdue in the country of almost 16 million. Farmajo’s term expired in February, but elections were postponed due to disputes over the electoral procedure.
Roble was entrusted with organizing the elections, but Farmajo accuses the prime minister of failing at that task and of fomenting division in the country. For his part, Roble accused Farmajo of plotting to commit electoral fraud.
GNA