Envoys urge resolution to Somalia president's impeachment bid

Envoys urge resolution to Somalia president’s impeachment bid 20 Aug 2015 8:47 PM International envoys in Somalia have called for “a speedy resolution” to a bid by Somali lawmakers to impeach President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Some 95 lawmakers last week filed an impeachment motion against Sheikh Mohamud, accusing him of “contravening the constitution” and alleged involvement in corruption. In a joint statement issued on Thursday, envoys of the United Nations, European Union, the United States, Britain, the African Union Mission in Somalia and regional bloc of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development expressed concern that the motion would “hinder progress on Somalia’s peace and state building goals.” “The submission of any such motion requires a high standard of transparency and integrity in the process and will consume extremely valuable time, not least in the absence of essential legal bodies,” the statement said. The envoys called on the Somali federal institutions to maintain their unity during this “challenging period” and focus on priorities such as the preparation of the electoral process in 2016 and the fight against Al-Shabaab militants. They said the emerging institutions “are still fragile and require a period of stability and continuity.” Member of Parliament, Abdirahman Hoshi Ibrahim, who was among those who signed the motion, said Sheikh Mohamud “failed to bring changes to the country.” The president has denied the accusations, saying his government “has done a lot in the last four years.”