South African Haysom was legal advisor to the late President Nelson Mandela.

Nicholas Haysom is an internationally acclaimed human rights lawyer. 

He’s been engaged by the United Nations in Afghanistan, Sudan and South Sudan.

Appointed by UN Secretary General António Guterres as his special envoy in Somalia, Haysom asked about the killing of supporters of former Al Shabaab spokesman Mukhtar Robow and the detention of 3 000 people.

Robow has sought to run as regional president after falling out with the jihadis.

The authorities have overruled the electoral commission’s approval of Robow’s candidacy and arrested him.

For questioning this crackdown on dissent, Haysom has been accused by the government of acting like the ruler of the country  and expelled.

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Authorities in Southwest State say they’s not ready to hold the polls on Wednesday.

Key presidential elections in Southwest state were originally slated for November 17.

They were then moved to November 28 and again until December 5.

The date is now set for December 19.

Authorities say the delays follow through investigations of conditions on the ground.

Southwest is the first state to go into the electoral process.

The candidacy of El Shabaab founding  deputy leader and spokesman  Mukhtar Robow who split with the terror organization when he fell out with its leadership is proving particularly problematic.

State authorities have overridden Mogadishu’s call for Robow to be barred from contesting the election.

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