Somalia’s government has accused the United Nations envoy of interfering the national sovereignty, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday.
Nicholas Haysom, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, was ordered to leave the country. The reason for such an unexpected move of the local government is the UN envoy’s ways to act as a diplomat. According to the foreign affairs ministry, Mr Haysom “is not required and cannot work in this country”, consequently, the UN envoy in Somalia is effectively declaring the official persona non grata since Tuesday.
“The decision comes after he openly breached the appropriate conduct of the UN office in Somalia,” Somali’s MFA statement read.
There was no immediate comment from the UN mission in the country.
Somalia’s decision made
Mr Haysom’s letter from December 30 caused a stir in the local interior security ministry because the UN envoy allowed him to express concern over “the alleged involvement of UN-supported Somali security forces in the arrest of Mukhtar Robow on 13 December, the deaths of 15 civilians…on 13, 14, and 15 December…and the arrest of approximately 300 people involved in the demonstrations on 13, 14, and 15 December”.
Mukhtar Robow bid to become Baidoa leader in the country in December election was blocked. Being an ex-member the non-governmental armed group al-Shabab, Mr Robow was a person of interest for Somalia’s Internal Security Ministry. According to its data, Robow was arrested on suspicion that he had brought fighters and weapons back to the South West region where he is a candidate for the presidency.
The decision comes hours after the UN compound in the Somali capital of Mogadishu was attacked by Al-Shabab. Antonio Guterres, the UNSG immediately reacted, tagging the attack as cruel as inhuman. He also urged the local authorities to bring those responsible to justice after investigation made in a proper and transparent way.
