A statement issued today Thursday by the ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation indicated that Mulongo, the deputy special representative of the African Union has been declared persona non grata and ordered to leave Mogadishu within 7 days.
The Somali federal government did not elaborate on the nature of the activities Mulongo is engaged in. The November 4 statement has been sent to the African Mission Commission in Addis Ababa and copied to the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Somalia in Addis Ababa and the Office of African Mission in Somalia, within Mogadishu.
In a subsequent tweet, Somali Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdirizak said the federal government would hold AMISOM staff accountable, especially those in leadership positions who are expected to avoid anything that could tarnish their image, their duties to the UN and the African Union.
Mulongo was appointed to the office on August 19, 2017, taking over from Lydia Wanyoto Mutende whose contract had ended at the time. He previously served as a director of the East African Standby Force in Nairobi and as a member of parliament representing Bubulo East constituency.
