Osman suspected party critics of personal vendettas rather than genuine concern for the nation.

Evidence

There are a lot of comments in the city pertaining to my resignation. Many are happy about it while others are not so inclined. Many on both sides of this divide are not motivated by genuine desire to improve the future of the country or promote national cohesion among Somalis. I am baffled with these divisions, as it was not my intention to please some and antagonize others. My only wish was not to be responsible for a decision that would offend branch secretaries and consequently create new splits in the party. Meanwhile, the majority who voted against convening a party congress are not taking any measures to prepare those excluded from the congress to accept the CC’s decision. Instead, they are spending their energy in soiling my image among certain groups. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 383

Categorization

• DEEPTHINKING: The fraught question of whether political ambition can ever serve the whole country in a deeply divided society.