Letter from Mogadishu: Qatari leaning alliance and piracy are back

An aerial view of Port of Mogadishu in Somalia. [Getty Images] A new political coalition bringing together nine prominent Somali politicians was unveiled in Mogadishu this week as the preparations for next year's general elections take shape and gather momentum. The new formation to be known as the National Dignity Union (NDU) named former Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdoon (saacid) as their candidate for the 2026 presidential election. The new alliance will hopefully take on the one fronted by the incumbent president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud known as the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP). Apart from Shirdoon, others in the new alliance include former interior minister Abdikarim Hussein Guled, one-time security minister Mohamed Abukar Islow and former Mogadishu mayor Thabit Abdi Mohamed, The group, in a joint statement, said their alliance aims to restore unity, integrity, and hope to a nation they described as "deeply divided and in crisis." The NDU leaders are advocating for a new political bloc followed by "a series of extensive consultations" analyzing Somalia's current political, security, and economic challenges. Political observers in Somalia say the announcement could heavily reshape country's political landscape ahead of the 2026 elections, as the alliance brings together figures who have previously competed on opposite sides of the political divide. The presence of Somalia's shadowy power broker, Fahad Yasin Haji Daahir regarded as an influential political figure is said to have given the new formation some political impetus in preparation for 2026. Yasin, a one-time journalist with Al Jazeera who evolved into a strategic political operative, helped president Mohamud in 2012 when he first won the presidency. In 2017, he switched ctoamps support Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and floored Mohamud. His defection to Farmaajo followed his appointment as the minister for Posts and Telecommunications. He resigned from the position. When Farmaajo bagged the presidency in 2017, he named Yasin as his intelligence chief. Yasin was seen as the intelligence chief who wielded unparalleled power within the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) amid accusations of abuse, political manipulation as well as claims of delaying elections. When Farmaajo eventually lost the 2022 poll to pave way for Mohamud's second term, his alliance with Yasin collapsed too. Now Yasin, a man said to have close ties with the Qataris, is seen to have the middle east country's financial as well as diplomatic backing for the 2026 presidential contest. While he seeks to breathe fresh air in the new alliance headed by Shirdoon, he must brace himself for a bruising battle ahead with Mohamud who is a no push-over. To show their commitment to NDU, the founding members all quit their previous political parties and organizations. The leaders noted the damage done to the country amid lack of unity and solidarity to Somalia, the collapse of the economy, the neglect of social services, and the loss of faith in the Somali state. Many Somalis await NDU to release its full political platform which is said to focus on rebuilding public trust, reforming state institutions, and advancing reconciliation efforts. Meanwhile, is piracy off the east African coast making a comeback? This week, the pirates launched multiple attacks against vessels before successfully boarding the Malta-flagged Hellas Aphrodite, which was heading to India from South Africa and ferrying gasoline, according to the ship's owner, Latsco Marine Management Inc. This was the first piracy incident off the coast of Somalia in 18 months, raising fears of a resurgence of armed attacks along the coasts of Somalia. The last time a commercial vessel was hijacked was in May 2024. The pirates then boarded the Liberian-flagged vessel Basilisk around 380 nautical miles east of Mogadishu. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said there was another close incident in the area on Friday, but the ship outran the pirate vessel. EU Naval managed to reach the hijacked ship on Friday and found all crew members safe. Experts say last week's seizure might be a prelude to more assaults because conditions along the Somalia coasts have changed due to the redistribution of naval forces and a weakened government in Mogadishu, which is battling armed groups offshore. It is feared that there has been an increase in hijacking of vessels and recruitment of new pirates as well as arming themselves. Piracy incidents peaked in 2011 with a high of 243 hijacks, but has since then decreased drastically. While there are no definite figures on how much has been paid in ransom to the pirates, UN agencies say the pirates have raked in hundreds of millions of dollars. In April 2024, $5 million was paid by Bangladeshi owners SR Shipping Lines to release MV Abdullah. Somali pirates have the capacity to operate about 1,000 kilometers from shore by using mother ships - a large ship on which smaller vessels like skiffs can be launched to reach deep waters. This allows them to operate away from the less patrolled coast. They usually confront a vessel with heavy ammunition to slow it down. Once a vessel has been boarded with light ladders, pirates typically move the vessel towards Somalia and hold it for ransom. The presence of the pirates in Somalia, which lies along key nerves of global maritime shipping routes, constitutes a severe threat to the global economy. Military authorities and international agencies have attempted to counter piracy for decades, but the vastness of the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden make the region difficult for military ships to patrol. In 2003 a UN Security Council resolution created the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia to document violations of an arms embargo on Somalia, but its scope has since broadened to include piracy. Coalitions including the European Naval Force Somalia and the Standing Group of NATO have sought to tackle the issue, and several national and regional initiatives have also been developed. Last year Turkey and Somalia signed a 10-year deal on defense and economic cooperation, which included combating piracy. Under the deal, the Turkish Navy will help in building, training, and equipping a Somali naval force and conduct joint operations to protect Somali waters. At the peak of the piracy menace, shipping lines increased insurance and the cost of transporting goods and cargo through the Somali coastline. The menace further delayed arrival of goods to destinations as vessels avoided the Gulf of Aden.

Letter from Mogadishu: Qatari leaning alliance and piracy are back

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