Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expelled the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo.
A statement, dated November 4, 2021, sent to the African Union (AU) Commission in Addis-Ababa and the Office of African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the federal government of Somalia declared the Ugandan diplomat a persona non grata and gave him seven days to leave the country.
Previous unanswered complaints
Mr. Mulongo is accused of “engaging in activities incompatible with AMISOM’s mandate and Somalia’s security strategy”. Somali Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdirizak then explained, tactfully and without going into details, certain “reprehensible” activities attributed to the diplomat in office in Somalia since 2017.
The Minister said in an interview with Sheikh Abdi Hersy, a Somali-Canadian news commentator, on November 7th that the persona non grata designation is a difficult process any country avoids using unless they run out of options. Other alternatives are always explored to deal with troublesome diplomats.
Minister Abdirizak added that since last April he has filed complaints on different occasions with the Ugandan’s superiors at AMISOM HQ in Mogadishu, the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, and even approached the authorities from his home country at a meeting in Kampala.
The AU, known for its procrastination, has not followed up with the Somali authorities’ request. As for Mulongo, he not only made fun of complaints against him but he persisted in his objectionable behavior. He was the main obstacle to the investigation into the Golweyn massacre carried out by Ugandan AMISOM troops.
Besides, other sources have come to light that further shed light on the extent of Mulongo’s misconduct. The charges against the AU official are very serious and many will find the following details disturbing and wonder why it has taken all this time to act.
Denigration of Somalia and meddling
Simon Mulongo is known locally for actively denigrating Somalia’s ability to secure its land and hold elections. He regularly and willfully disseminated false information about Somalis and the country to various international actors.
The diplomat has also flouted Somalia’s sovereignty and the legitimacy of its government. He openly declared in meetings and other public forums that there was no government in Somalia. He described the country as clan enclaves with which the international community had to deal separately.
Unfortunately, this position, prevalent in the heavily fortified Halane compound in Mogadishu, was also advocated by hostile Kenyan politicians and actively promoted by Kate Foster, UK ambassador in Somalia, and some other Western diplomats.
Some reports indicate that the expelled AU representative was also interfering in the elections, particularly in the parliamentary seats of the Northern regions and the Benadir region which are being held in Mogadishu. He was also trying to support Puntland and Jubaland leaders in their standoff with the federal government.
In a leaked WhatsApp chat, Mulongo distorted Somali clans dynamics and openly advocated for sidelining President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo over the election stalemate. Concerted action that bore fruit as Western diplomats in Mogadishu exerted intense pressure on the government which peaked in April 2021.
Conflict of interest: for Uganda and his pocket
Simon Mulongo and his superior the Mozambican Francisco Madeira, the head of the African Mission in Somalia, had apparently been at odds for quite some time. Madeira has been embarrassed with his deputy’s misplaced priorities of trying to extend the presence of his country’s contingent, which outnumber other African contingents. A clear conflict of interest that didn’t irked Somalia’s “International partners ” which also casually call themselves “Friends of Somalia”.
In addition, Mulongo is seen as a close ally to the American James Swan, the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) chief, and Kate Foster, two diplomats whose interference in Somali affairs has marred the Somali election talks. These two Anglo-Saxons have reproached Madeira his caution vis-à-vis the Somali government. Still, the Mozambican himself didn’t oppose, at least in public, the destabilizing activities of the other three.
In another attempt to make personal gain on Somalia’s demise, Mulongo used his position to tap into the vast amount of data collected by AMISOM through the troops’ work with Somali governmental agencies and allegedly shared protected government information with foreign individuals, institutions and governments.
He is notably suspected of having carried out transactions with a foreign agency, namely Sahan Research, whose leaders were sentenced to five years in prison in absentia for having illegally obtained intelligence data endangering Somalia’s national security, sovereignty and the State.
Extortion and sexual abuses
Mulongo’s contempt for the laws of his host country did not end there. He is said to have engaged in criminal activities in violation of not only Somali laws but also AU regulations. The AMISOM mission agreement stipulates in particular in article 6 that any AU representative must respect and comply with Somalia’s laws and international conventions.
First, Mulongo extorted money from Somali businessmen and companies and threatened to accuse them of collaborating with terrorists. He also researched companies operating at the airport and at the Halane compound, with the help of other foreign missions’ workers.
Second, there are reportedly complaints from women workers working in his office and other offices of the African Union Mission in Somalia who have been sexually harassed or assaulted. The accused then broke an agreement between the Somali government and AMISOM to compensate the victims. Unfortunately, the government had chosen negotiation over prosecution for these criminal acts.
Finally, Mulongo used his position to blackmail a number of Somali politicians and leaders, threatening to humiliate or even kill them, and send harassing messages to others. The goal was to influence local politics.
Simon Mulongo and General Odowa Rage, Mogadishu, Nov. 1, 2021
The final provocation
The straw that broke the camel’s back occurred a couple of days before during the ceremony of the military hospital rehabilitation in Mogadishu. The event brought together Somali politicians, military leaders and foreign diplomats, including the Italian Ambassador whose government is funding the project.
According to witnesses, Mulongo who was invited to the ceremony attacked General Odowa Rageh in front of other dignitaries. In a confrontational intervention that baffled the general, Mulongo belittled the Somali National Army and criticized its stance on an AU Peace and Security Council’s plan that Somalia had previously rejected.
The plan aims to keep African troops in Somalia beyond December 2021. A discussion of this plan was not on the agenda that day, however. Mr. Mulongo’s undiplomatic intrusion and his arrogance prompted the Somali authorities to take a swift and appropriate action the next day.
The exasperation was clearly noticeable in a tweeted statement from Somali Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdirizak who said the federal government would hold AMISOM staff accountable, especially those in senior positions who should avoid anything that could tarnish their image, their duties towards the UN and the African Union.
Reactions to the expulsion
The disgraced diplomat surprisingly told the media that he did not see this coming, that he had done nothing wrong that would warrant an expulsion, and that he was awaiting instructions from his AU superiors on what to do next.
In addition, diplomats based in Halane in Mogadishu issued a press release the next day urging the Somali government to speed up the elections. Due to the timing, many saw this as an injunction from the very ones who facilitated the culprit’s behavior and an indication that the government was creating a distraction.
However, many local politicians welcomed the news of the eviction and supported the government in its action. However, most of the opposition candidates remained silent except for one who said he disapproved of the action.
The Somali public, meanwhile, was ecstatic about the expulsion due to a number of foreign diplomats interfering in local politics and acting in total impunity. Social media exploded with praise for the Foreign Ministry for initiating the action.
Mr. Mulongo’s attitude is not new coming from the fortified Halane compound where Somali authorities are foreign to their own land. Halane, signed off by the previous Somali government, is practically a state within Somalia.
The expulsion of Nicholas Haysom in 2019 did not improve foreign diplomats’ contemptuous attitude towards Somali national institutions and the Somali public. These diplomats have continued to act with impunity for some time. Most of the citizens who have expressed their feelings on social media also urge the government to extend national sovereignty to Halane.
The FGS will hold accountable AMISOM personel, particularly those at the leadership level, who are expected to be beyond reproach in their integrity as they discharge their duty under the UN/AU mandate.
— Mohamed Abdirizak (@MAbdirizak) November 4, 2021
