Somalia: Corruption and Questionable Data
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Corruption and Questionable Data
By Liban Ahmad
libahm@gmail.com
OPINION
There are two types of analyses on Somali politics . Type 1 analysis interprets trends and makes use of past events to make recommendations. Type 2 analysis makes use of data ( past events or figures) to explain current political trends to make recommendations. Sections of report by Monitoring Group on Somalia leaked to the media belongs to the second category. To be able to discuss the report the UN Security Council members will need time to digest the data used for the report , and written responses from people alleged to have embezzled money. Corruption has been a recurrent theme in many reports on Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) whose term will come to an end in August 2012.
The leaked pages of the report contains factual errors . How can corruption be fought with the wrong data? According to the report “An internal TFG Public Financial Management Unit (PFMU) was established in 2009″ but ” in May 2011, allegedly under pressure from members of President Sharif’s inner circle, including Abdulkarim Jaama, President Sharif’s Chief of Staff, the new TFG Prime Minister, Mohamed Abdillahi ‘Farmaajo’, disbanded the PFMU ” Abdulkarim Jaama was not ” President Sharif’s Chief of Staff ” in 2011; he was Minister for Information in May 2011.
In speech to Somali elders last week President Sharif Ahmed of Somalia challenged corruption allegations about his government. ” When we came to Mogadishu after Djibouti election in 2009 we had no funds to pay TFG forces. We had to borrow money from business people to pay salaries of the forces. ” if that is the case it shows the president and his team have gone extra mile to manage financial difficulties TFG faced when he was elected a president. It is noteworthy president Sharif’s former prime minister, Mohamed Abdulaahi Farmaajo, is remembered for ensuring regular payment of TFG forces’ salaries which partly led to high morale among TFG forces and successive defeats of Al Shabaab at the hands of TFG forces and AMISOM in 2011 in Mogadishu.
The Monitoring Group on Somalia has relied on the “World Bank Summary of Financial Diagnostic Assessment of “Audit Investigative” of which the following quote is part: ” …the financial statements and related findings presented in this summary of the Katuni Consult report must be considered as provisional and subject to correction as further information becomes available.” The TFG president has got not only presumption of innocence on his side he also has an opportunity to defend himself against allegations based on questionable data.
Liban Ahmad
libahm@gmail.com
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The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Raxanreeb’s editorial policy.
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war aduunkoo dhanaa og inuu shariif tuug yahay ay muxuu yahay ninkaan difaacaya?
The report author shows the evidence within the report that influenced his judgement to label TFG officials as corrupt. He clearly explains on page 6-7 (at the beginning of the report) the Methodologies he uses to gather information/evidence which are:
—————————————————————————————————————————————-
(a) Collecting information on events and topics from multiple sources,
where possible;
(b) Collecting information from sources with first-hand knowledge of
events, where possible;
(c) Identifying consistency in patterns of information and comparing
existing knowledge with new information and emerging trends;
(d) Continuously factoring in the expertise and judgement of the relevant
expert of the Monitoring Group and the collective assessment of the Group
with respect to the credibility of information and the reliability of sources;
(e) Obtaining physical, photographic, video and/or documentary evidence
in support of the information collected.
—————————————————————————————————————————————-
He clearly references all sources at the end of each pages.
People like you defend TFG officials because you benefit from these corrupt Somali political leaders and their supporters, who are have hijacked and have been derailing the transitional process, causing thousands of somali children and elders to die of hunger.
It is amazing to read the garbage you write, and blatantly ignoring the facts that the report documents.
@ Hamsa
References of sources do not constitute evidence. There are inaccuracies in the report. Wrong conclusions and factual errors are not corrected by methodology. The report has a lot in common with the Chatham House report reported in mainstream media to wrongly emphasise one of the conclusions of the report: that piracy benefited cities such as Garowe. I have never had a direct or indirect link with TFG 1 or TFG 2.
@ Liban Ahmad
that is nonsense. the report shows why the author deemed TFG officials as corrupt. References of sources do not constitute evidence? What are you talking, don’t play with words please. That is the same as saying, just because we have a witness, it does not mean a crime was commited! Of course, only the Courts can judge. Nonetheless, this (SEMG report appointed by international community) are accusation from reliable sources.
Speaking of Garowe, Piracy or “Puntland Piracy Network” is a well know fact by us Somalis, “where they appear to face no serious threat from the Puntland administration despite the recent establishment of a Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) with financial assistance from” International community.
The report says “with the exception of the Puntland administration, other Somali authorities and
groups also extended their cooperation to the SEMG. The Puntland authorities withheld
their cooperation and failed to respond to requests for information. The Monitoring
Group considers the conduct of the Puntland administration to represent a potential
obstruction to the work and investigations of the Monitoring Group”.
Of course, if Garowe does not benefit from Piracy then they wouldn’t obstruct the Monitoring Group’s work, by withholding corporation and information. But, according to your reality, hmm …of course, you are going to say the Monitoring Group are lying, and that from your perspective all the accusation has been fabricated (however, you will not give a logical explanation as to why you think these accusations are false or fabricated, you will just utter rubbish generalities to dispute the reports facts). Chatham House report spring to mind here, perhaps another fabrication.
To be honest, writers like you is what hold Somalis back (we have a massive illiterate population, you are one of few writers we have, just to give you a hint on how important you are to Somalia and her citizens). The misery that Somali people have been going through (and this is goes back to ethiopia-somali war) is the result of such myopic and self-interested-at-all-cost politicians who cannot be held accountable by people like you. You will defend the un-defensible. It is extraordinary.
@ Hamza
My issue with report has got to do with the data not the mandate of the Monitoring Group. Such a focus enables me to avoid getting trapped by political accusations and counter-accusation of Somali leaders and report writers. Puntland lost more 5 soldiers after pirates attacked security forces last year.
How can I take the report seriously if writers misidentify main actors? That is what leads to either miscarriage of justice or collapse of cases. What is wrong with pointing out wrong data used for the report? I share your anger about the plight of Somali people.
@ Liban
Noo, I don’t think you can share my anger!