How one man's covert mission faulted US strategy towards Somali military

By Newsroom Sep 15, 2019

NAIROBI - From the beginning, the well-coordinated US-led efforts to rebuild a strong army for post-war Somalia appeared to be more promising than it could have ever been and offered a glimpse of hope for the rebuilding of the fractured army that'd have to take over the country's security from the African Union forces before their purposed withdrawal from the long-chaotic horn Africa nation by 2020.

But the initiative which has been in the marking for years would be short-lived and has suffered a major blow, thanks to one man's behind scenes steady stream of misleading corruption information he fed to the US Somalia mission that had prompted the United States to cut funding for the Somali army.

US site coordinator Mohamud Ali was VOA reporter before joining the mission, from Phoenix Arizona. The picture shows Mr. Ali interviews Nicholas Kay, former UN envoy to Somalia.

The move which has frustrated Somali government followed several complaints about ambiguous plans by individuals trying to undermine its efforts to rebuild the army for political and tribal gains.

According to one of series of complaints that Somalia's former armed forces chief wrote to the US Somalia embassy seen by African Today, the man in the center of the controversy Mohamud Ali, a former journalist with the Voice of America's Somali Service who is currently serving as the US Site coordinator had one motive: tribal vendetta.

With easy access to key offices and institutions, thanks to his close relationship with Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire and is an adviser to him, Mr. Ali, a Somali-American from Phenix Arizona also cultivated close relationships with senior government officials including ministers.

Unbeknown to his undercover mission to others, Mr. Khaire has subsequently dismissed warnings about Ali's intentions having inducted himself into the inner circle in addition to his free access into critical infrastructures.

ABUSE OF POWER AND CORRUPTION

Corruption is both one of the leading causes and consequences of endemic political instability in Somalia, which has been ranked bottom of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index every year since 2006.

Abuse of power and corruption in Somalia is something that the Somali prime minister says my government is fighting against corruption. The adequate concern is how prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire wants to implement and enhance these principles while his close friend (Mohamud Ali US site coordinator) exercising the power and corruption while getting full support from the prime minister Khaire. "This open corruption caused by an individual who is not capable of managing something such an important for Somalia and the US surprised some of the people working Somali security sector. ‘It is quite clear he wants to get rich quickly by abusing of power and corrupting SNA using in both US and Somali government’s names”. replied by the former director of ministry of defense who wants to keep his name concealed for security reason.

The head of Somali National Army’s operations who goes by Gen Madobe said “This Mohmud guy uses US government name and has a prime minister who supports him blindly which makes him easy to abuse and corrupt SNA. My concern is that he survived after former CDF Gen Axmed Jimcaale Geedi wrote complaint letters to the US government. The answer we got from the Americans working on the ground is that the Somali Prime Minister wrote him more than three recommendations to top US government officials who are friendly with Mr. Ali and that is why he still doing this dirty work and remained unchanged which is unsatisfactory to us (SNA)” He added saying “ Mohamud now wants to destroy Danab which is the only SNA special troops to save the future of this country”

MIXED MOTIVATION

Since Somalia has elected a new president, the United States has shown more commitment towards Somalia in fighting the terrorist group, al-Shabab and started increasing its funding to the Somali army's rebuilding process.
However, things haven't improved much much since the US has cut funding to the army over corruption allegations, something Somali leaders have subsequently denied.

HOW DID WE COME HERE?

One year before the United States concluded to cut funding to the Somali military, it has continued receiving information about positive reforms and progress towards the rebuilding of the Somali army before things have since for worse, thanks to a dirty secret campaign by Mr. Ali who started his job by filing counter-narratives and reports in an attempt to discredit reports highlighting the progress by Somali army.

But despite concerns about the veracity of reports he was filing, US officials have ignored, giving Ali a significant opportunity to manipulate the Somalia information relaying desk and continued filing negative information about rebuilding Somali army.

US officials in the Somalia Mission including the veteran Jessie Evans have since become the victims of a dirty tricks campaign by the corrupt site coordinator who has started framing them with the help of the prime minister of Somalia Mr Khaire and other officials with whom he underhandedly confided that the other officials were waging a war to undermine the government's efforts to rebuild the army.

Despite having fooled the clueless Somali leaders with false information, Ali could barely imagine that it'd earn him their trust and prize. He has since been awarded several fat paychecks, opening a new era for him.

As result, Ali who had just passed two years into as the site coordinator job is now building a one million dollar house in Nairobi Kenya, thanks to the rewards given to him by Somali leaders in recognition for his 'false' information that has turned out to be fictitious later.

The Somali government has since filed several complaints against Mr. Ali who according to his close friends is determined to obstruct the Somali army rebuilding process in the interest of his tribe's administration which believes that it'd threaten their existence.

African Today has more than six supporting documents of this report if needed. AT is only two releasing two of supporting documents with this report for now.

Document 1

Document 2

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