Farmaajo, nationalist hero and ‘defender of the republic’, fights for survival
Protestors in Mogadishu waving placards bearing the image of Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmaajo” on April 25, 2021. Farmaajo has faced harsh criticism at home and from foreign allies after signing a law earlier this month extending his mandate by two years. PHOTO | AFP
When President Mohamed Farmaajo of Somalia appeared on TV on April 27 midnight to announce that he would be returning to the negotiations for indirect elections, it seemed like a sudden about-turn in reconciliation.
But observers say it formed a consistent pattern, where he passes the buck to Parliament to bridge his next step. On May 1, he was scheduled to address MPs whom he asked to cancel his two-year term extension.
