The President of Somalia appointed MP Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame as the Special Envoy for Somalia’s drought issues on May 24th. Soon after his appointment, questions were raised about the legality of his position as an envoy, considering that he is a sitting member of parliament.
MP Abdirahman stated in an interview with the BBC’s Somali-language channel that being a Member of Parliament entails serving people. He believes that work is part of his role as a Member of Parliament and argued the appointment is similar to a position on a parliamentary committee.
He said his current role as the drought envoy was unpaid and voluntary but that he was willing to sacrifice his role as a member of parliament to complete the task.
“If I need to leave as a member of parliament to do this job, I am willing to do so,” said MP Abdirahman.
According to Article 59 of the Provisional Somali Constitution, a Member of Parliament can be disqualified from the seat if they accept to hold a government position other than a ministerial post.
Abdishakur Warsame’s appointment as the Special Envoy for Somalia’s drought comes as Somalia faces its worst drought in nearly 40 years.
According to the UN, Somalia is the most drought-impacted country in the Horn of Africa.
Close to one million people have abandoned their homes, searching for water, food, and pasture, with at least 6.1 million people affected.
The UN in Somalia has launched a new allocation of 20 million U.S. dollars from the Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF) to provide immediate assistance to at-risk communities.
