The Somali federal government has launched a scathing critique against Sivuyile Thandikhaya Bam, Acting Head of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), accusing him of undermining Somalia’s stability and displaying “unacceptable” sympathy for the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab.
In a fiery interview with Somali National Television, Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi declared that the government is weighing “strong measures” against Bam, citing repeated actions that allegedly contradict Somalia’s security agenda and progress in counterterrorism efforts. Fiqi condemned Bam’s recent remarks at the UN Security Council, where he reportedly suggested Al-Shabaab seeks political legitimacy and no longer targets civilians—a claim the minister dismissed as “dangerously misleading” given the group’s ongoing attacks.
The dispute highlights escalating friction between Somalia and international partners, with Fiqi’s remarks underscoring a broader “trust deficit” in AU collaboration.