Mogadishu (UM) – The Motion of No Confidence against the Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawaari is worsening the security condition in Mogadishu according to interviewees. In the space of a week, two explosions killed nearly 20 people, according to government sources, on the Makkah Al-Mukarama road.
“Before the Motion the security was getting better. Now I feel scared to walk around during the day,” said a school teacher.
“Every Motion is the same because it makes security worse for the people. The MPs who are doing the Motion are in bulletproof cars and living in nice safe houses and hotels,” said an angry street trader who did not want to be named. “We have had enough of this and we hope Allah SWT protects us because our government is not.”
The people interviewed across Mogadishu agreed that the Somali Security Services were trying their best but that they were demoralized and under equipped.
“What can you expect from somebody who is in the sun all day without food and earning 100 dollar? This is not right and I think the soldiers and police are doing their best but the politicians are to blame for insecurity,” said Mohamed Elmi Jama, a driver in Mogadishu.
“The politicians always want to change the security leadership when something happens but they do not want to stabilize the national politics. Al-Shabaab is taking advantage of the Motion and the government and the opposition are busy meeting in hotels to care about the people’s safety,” added another driver who did not want to be named.
The Motion of No Confidence against Speaker Jawaari is causing public frustration because the date of the vote is not agreed. The Government wants it held on the 31st and Speaker Jawaari’s supporters question the legitimacy of the letter from his Deputy Muuday who is supporting the government.
“The sooner this Motion finishes the safer Mogadishu and Somalia will be,” said Amina Ahmed, a khat seller in Hamar Weyne.
“We don’t care who wins the Motion or who loses their jobs because the politicians and their supporters only care about themselves. We just want to have security and get on with our lives. Allah SWT knows it is hard enough as it is without political instability,” said Nuradiin Abdi, a civil servant working with the local government.