Mogadishu (UM) – The death of the Mayor of Mogadishu Abdirahman Omar Osman (Eng Yarisow) is a devestating wake up call for this govermment to fix its failing security policies. Security is this government’s biggest expenditure and its most clear failure. Security, Security and Security. The people are tired of promises of better security which they do not see delivered.
The death of the Mayor of Mogadishu and his colleagues is particularly tragic and shocking because it happen in the place where he should have been most secure, his office. Up to now, nobody knows what happened in that meeting hall and all the people have heard of are rumours and blame. What the people are sure of is that however the terrorist attack took place, it was done by insiders who breached all of the security measures put in place by the local government and national security forces. How did this happen? Who is being held responsible? Why was it allowed to happen? These questions need clear and credible answers. No more excuses! No more lies! Enough is enough!
The Somali people are angry. Despite the continued roadblocks (kala wareeg) policy, it has become a normal occurence for terrorist to continue causing harm and damage to people and properties. The government has prioritised security, but the clear failures show that there is very little effective policies that guide the road blocks and obsession with restricting public movement. Even with the travel restrictions in place, people are still dying from terrorist attacks and no one is held accountable. Why?
The late Mayor Eng Yarisow’s son Mohamed Abdirahman Omar tweeted today that Mogadishu lost its Mayor but he had lost his father. Mogadishu by losing its Mayor is now questioning its government’s security policies. Everybody today is as upset as the late Mayor’s son because they just don’t know who or what to trust. They have been failed too many times.
Eng. Yarisow’s murder shoud be a wake up call for the Somali government to fix its security problems before the long suffering people totally lose faith in the government and security services.