Somalia's President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed |
The president of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has accused the U.N. Monitoring Group and its coordinator Mr. Matt Bryden of being “against peace in Somalia” .
President Sharif spent half of his one-hour speech to discuss the recently leaked report by the Somalia Eritrea Monitoring Group, and he launched a clear attack against Monitoring Group Coordinator Matt Bryden.
“Matt Bryden is not ashamed to suppor the division of Somalia into two countries. Matt Bryden has a track record of being against the restoration of peace in Somalia,” said President Sharif to the crowd’s applause.
Monitoring Group Coordinator Matt Bryden |
The TFG president expressed his disappointment that the Monitoring Group report was leaked at such a time when Somalia is ending the transitional period for the first time since 2000.
“This Monitoring Group report was timed to coincide with the end of transition period in order to discredit the TFG,” said President Sharif.
Referring particularly to the Monitoring Group’s mention of a $3million donation from Oman Government, President Sharif said: “All that money was used to pay off government expenses, including loans, security forces and parliament.”
He added: “Every TFG official is in personal debt because they borrow money to keep the government functioning. Even the soldiers, sometimes the salary is late or the salary does not come, and the soldiers continue to work because they are defending their nation and their dignity.”