Minister of Information Seeks Clarification from former Mayor of Mogadishu, Offers Chance to Join Peace Process to Disaffected members of Al-Shabaab
Mogadishu, 04 July 2014 – H.E. Mustaf Duhulow, the Minister of Information today issued a statement in response to the recent interview with Mohamud Ahmed Nur (Tarzan) on the BBC Hard Talk programme: “The Federal Government of Somalia is committed to the fight against al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliated group. The issue of extremism is global and it needs a global solution. Our fight against al-Shabaab is part of that global solution. In order to rebuild institutions in Somalia and to implement the democratic process it is absolutely essential that we bring peace and stability in the country and Al-Shabaab is an obstacle to that. It is true that we are fighting with vigour against Al-Shabaab: but we offer amnesty to those Somalis in the group who are willing to renounce violence and take part in reconciliation and the peace process. Nonetheless, the Federal Government of Somalia is determined to do all it can to confront Al-Shabaab within our meager resources. As Minister of Information, the spokesperson of the Government, my ministry is doing all we can to counter the extremist narratives of violence and destruction and to highlight the constant improvements in our security forces and the institutions of government.”
The Minister of Information continued: “I was therefore surprised to hear Tarzan, the former Mayor of Mogadishu, say to Tim Franks on BBC HARDTalk: ‘I organized a rally against Al-Al-Shabaab, and when I speak about the atrocities they are committing, those al-Shabaab, the Minister of Information called me and he was my friend from London also, he said you are putting yourself on the spot, you putting yourself to a dangerous position.’ I would like to state that very clearly that I never had such a conversation with the former Mayor of Mogadishu and I don’t know why he said this. Therefore, I would like to request Tarzan to clarify his statement in order to put the record straight.”
The Minister of Information concluded: “The former Mayor of Mogadishu and I are on good terms, and I believe that this was a slip of the tongue on his part or that he meant someone else other than me. When I became Minister of Information, Tarzan was offered ministerial position but we never worked together as Minister and as Mayor. Since the former Mayor of Mogadishu made public statement via BBC HARDtalk, it is appropriate and legitimate to ask him to clarify the statement in public to set the record straight.”