Thread by @althecat

The UK's Foreign Office, here @KFosterFCDO, is continuing to take the diplomatic lead on the IC side to address the constitutional ructions in Somalia. The @SomaliPM @MohamedHRoble (2nd pic) has had his wings clipped - i.e. powers removed - by Somalia President @M_Farmaajo.

https://twitter.com/SomaliPM/status/1439905304918044674

The Somalia Crisis was discussed in the UNSC on Friday, and here is a standup with the UNSC Representative on the Council before the meeting. She did not return to brief the media afterwards.

Somalia's recent constitutional crisis is directly connected to the war against rebel TPLF fighters in Ethiopia as it was triggered by the death of Ikran Tahlil whom some allege was a spy working for foreign interests, and others claim was a whistleblower.

She is alleged to have whistle-blown on a program which saw troops from Somalia being sent for training in Eritrea, and possibly deployed in Tigray. However these reports are denied by all the other parties involved.

PM Roble found himself in difficulties after a series of provocative acts including firing the head of the intelligence service, taking personal control of Govt. finances and visiting Kenya on an unsanctioned mission to discuss a an important maritime boundary dispute.

The controversy also involved the abduction of a Kenyan commentator/journalist @AbdiwahabSheik7 on September 9th [See #FreeAbdiwahab]. Abdiwahab was released over the weekend. But has not yet made any public comment on his apparently extrajudicial detention.

In the most recent incident in the crisis an attempt was made to kidnap the Somalia spy chief Fahad Yasin in Djibouti (where there is a US base), allegedly by Kenya/UAE.

The underlying cause of all of this appears to be intrigue over Somalia offshore natural gas deposits.

These natural gas deposits are the subject of an international court adjudication on maritime boundaries which is due to be announced on October 12th.

/ENDS

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