The Federal Government of Somalia has officially reacted for the first time to the letter sent by the Somali Future Council Coalition to the heads of state of the countries that are present in Somalia, ahead of the Kampala conference to discuss the future of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
The Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Adaala, in an interview with the BBC from Mudug region, described the opposition letter as an “attack on Somali nationalism”, saying it was not the first step they have taken.
Al-Adaala accused the Future Council of having recently waged a campaign that he said was damaging the Somali statehood, while sending letters and letters to international organizations and countries that support Somalia in order to weaken the support given to the government.
“These are actions that directly affect the nationhood, independence and state structure of Somalia, and are not a matter limited to political or electoral disputes,” the Deputy Minister said.
His remarks came after the Somali Future Council sent a letter to the leaders of the countries contributing troops to the AUSSOM mission, urging the Kampala conference to focus on resolving the political conflict and the dispute over the electoral process in Somalia.
Al-Adaala also rejected the opposition’s argument that the current government is a caretaker government, saying that the electoral process is officially underway, and some administrations have already begun their elections.
He said the Kampala conference has a specific security agenda, which relates to the future of the AUSSOM mission, its structure and funding, and that its agenda does not include the Somali elections.
Meanwhile, the deputy minister said the government is still ready for political dialogue, but accused the opposition of trying to take Somalia’s internal affairs to the international arena, which he described as not beneficial to the country.
The three-day Kampala conference will be attended by the African Union, troop-contributing countries to the AUSSOM mission, and Somalia’s international partners, with a focus on the future of the mission and Somalia’s security plan for the coming phases.