The Somali Federal Gov’t has ordered that the Acting head of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) Mr. Sivuyile Thankdikhaya Bam to leave the country after he delivered a speech to the UN Security Council on the 9th April, in which he strongly criticized the administration in Mogadishu.
Sivuyile Thandikhaya Bam was supposed to leave Mogadishu today and is due to return to the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa.
Bam who is the Deputy Head of AUSSOM was forced to leave Somalia after he Somali Federal Gov’t has officially informed the Chairman of the African Union Commission, Mohamoud Ali Youssouf that Somali wants to declare Bam persona non grata.
The conflict arise over a statement that Bam delivered to the UN Security Council Special Meeting on the 9th April.
Somalia is non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) since the beginning of this year.
Bam elaborated the risks of the attacks that the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group of Al-shabab carried out in Somalia.
Al-Shabab seized territories in Middle Shabelle province which lie 30 km from Mogadishu.
The statement from Bam angered the Foreign Minister, Ahmed Ma’alin Fiqi, who accused of Bam sympathizing with the militant group of Al-Shabab.
After Bam was appointed in December, 2023 to join ATMIS, the Somali Gov’t rejected his nomination but it later accepted.
Bam is expected to be replaced by Sam Kavuma who is an Ugandan by nationality.
He is also a member of ATMIS soldiers.
