Regional leaders call for calm as power tussle soars between Farmajo and Roble

Somalia’s regional leaders on Friday called for an end to the political imbroglio between the president and prime minister which has stoked deep concerns about the stability of the Horn of Africa nation.

The altercation escalated on Thursday when President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as Farmajo, suspended the executive powers of Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble.

The two men have been at odds over top security appointments in a dispute that comes as Somalia struggles to hold repeatedly delayed elections and confront a violent extremist insurgency.
Somalia’s state leaders called on the protagonists to stop “exchanging statements,” resolve their disagreements through mediation and respect the interim constitution.
Farmajo’s four-year mandate expired in February, but was extended by parliament in April, triggering deadly gun battles in Mogadishu, with some rivals viewing it as a flagrant power grab.

Roble cobbled together a new timetable for a vote, but the process has fall behind, and the next phase is not due to start until October 1, when election for the lower house of parliament are due to run until November 25.
Elections in Somalia follow a complex indirect model, whereby state legislatures and clan delegates pick lawmakers for the national parliament who in turn choose the president.