Somalia rejects John Mahama; questions his impartiality and competence as a mediator

Somalia rejects John Mahama; questions his impartiality and competence as a mediator

The Federal Republic of Somalia has rejected the appointment of Ghana’s former president John Dramani Mahama as African Union’s (AU) special envoy to help mediate that country’s political impasse.

In a letter trending on the various media platforms and seen by accramail.com and confirmed by sources at the AU, Mahamed Abdirazak, Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said Mahama has “extensive links” with Kenya, and that the country will no longer support him [Mahama] in his new role.

“It is indeed surprising that a candidate with extensive links with Kenya’s leadership has been chosen by the AU to facilitate talks on a political impasse partly engineered by those Kenyan leadership has supported,” the letter stated.

“Given the politically sensitive nature of the task of a high representative in any case, I am certain you will appreciate the importance of any candidate for such a post to be seen as impartial and competent without any links to the region,” it added.

“I hereby notify the African Union of the formal withdrawal of support by the Federal Government of Somalia for the AU High Representative for Somalia.”

Read the full letter below: