Ex-President John Mahama Appointed As Envoy to Somalia In Election Confusion

The African Union (AU) has appointed former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama as its high representative to Somalia, to help mediate between stakeholders over election-related confusion in the country.

AU Commission chair Moussa Faki Mahamat announced in a statement on Saturday, saying Mahama will work with Somali stakeholders to reach a mutually acceptable compromise towards an all-encompassing resolution to the elections stalemate in the shortest possible time.

“In fulfilling his mandate, Mahama will be supported by the peacekeepers serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) to ensure mediation efforts and the peace support operation work together seamlessly,” he said.

The AU hopes the appointment will ensure democracy in Somalia and help curb the threat to the stability of the country and the region as a whole.

Somalia’s parliamentary elections were initially to take place in 2020 and the presidential election in February 2021, but both were scuttled over argument among stakeholders.

All attempts to solve the impasse had failed, necessitating the appointment of ex-President Mahama to act as the chief mediator in the squabbles in war-torn Somalia.