Somali lawmakers file motion to impeach Farmajo

Somali lawmakers on Sunday submitted an 8-clause impeachment motion against President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, Somali media outlets have reported.

The parliamentarians accuse Farmajo of allegedly violating dozens of articles of Somalia's federal constitution and laws in order to secure more power.

Somalia's parliament has a total of 275 lawmakers, with a successful impeachment vote requiring the backing of two thirds of all MPs.

According to a copy of the impeachment montion seen by Reuters, the president is accused of having secretly signed agreements with other countries, including Ethiopia and Eritrea.

He is also accused of illegally extraditing suspected criminals to other countries.

Farmajo, who served briefly as prime minister in 2010-11, came to power in February 2017 after running on a successful platform that pledged to improve governance and tackle corruption in a country wrought by conflict and instability since the collapse of Siad Barre's military regime in 1991.

In addition, he pledged to develop the country's own defenses against Al-Shabab, a jihadist group linked to al-Qaeda that continues to target civilian and military targets around Somalia.