Somalia: President Silanyo sets up committee to hold talks with TFG 8 Apr 8, 2012 - 1:04:26 PM
HARGEYSA, Somalia Apr 8 2012 (Garowe Online) – Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo has named a committee of ministers to hold discussions with the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), Radio Garowe reports.
The committee which consists of 5 ministers will be the focal point between the TFG and the Somaliland government and will work on how they could be able to hold talks in the future. The London conference in February proposed such talks between Somaliland and the TFG.
The ministers that make up the committee are, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Abdullahi Omar, Minister of Internal Affairs Mohamed Nuur, Minister of Justice Hussein Ahmed Aydid, Minister of Agriculture Farah Elmi and Minister of Transportation Ahmed Abdi Habsade.
Despite clan elders and some government officials opposing talks between the TFG and Somaliland President Silanyo has moved forward in setting up discussion between the two. Last month clan elder Buur Madow was apprehended by Somaliland authorities after arriving in Hargeysa airport. The clan elder was openly involved in political comments through the independent media and was quoted as saying it was a "political mistake" for Somaliland to engage in dialogue with the
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia in Mogadishu.
Somaliland, located in northwestern Somalia, unilaterally declared independence from the rest of the country in 1991 but has not gained international recognition.
