Washington, DC - Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul and Chairman Gregory W. Meeks issued the following statement in response to the lower house of the Somali parliament voting to extend President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed’s term by two years.
“We are deeply concerned by recent developments surrounding Somalia’s elections, particularly the legislation to extend President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed’s (Farmaajo) mandate by two years. This action erodes the federalism process and undermines the pursuit of democracy and stability in Somalia. If the mandate extension moves forward, the United States must re-evaluate our assistance and our relationship with the Federal Government of Somalia and consider imposing sanctions against those who impede the democratic process. We call on the Somali government to renew negotiations to resolve this crisis and return to the September 2020 electoral framework. The United States stands with the Somali people and will continue to support credible efforts to advance democracy and peace in Somalia.".
