MOGADISHU, Somalia, February 26, 2015 (Garowe Online)- Some lawmakers in Somalia’s Federal parliament have called on warring sides in Galgadud region town of Guri’el to come to the negotiating table and abandon violence on Thursday, Garowe Online reports.

During a press conference in Mogadishu, Members of Parliament-Abdisamad Moallim Mohamud and Ubah Talil- said it is not a time for identical brothers to shed blood in meaningless way.

They stressed the need for inclusive participation in the on-going Dhusamareb reconciliation conference for the first time in over two decades.

“I call on intellectuals, traditional leaders and local communities to de-escalate conflict,” urged female MP Tahlil.

On Tuesday, Somali government forces and Ahlu Sunna militias engaged in brief gun battle in the outskirts of Guri’el from where UN-backed weak central government troops fled earlier this month.

A mediation committee led by former Galmudug leader Mohamed Ahmed Allim have since been pushing ahead with mediation efforts.

The deadlock over the control of Guri’el is likely to drag to the second month amid concerns over the fate of the country’s timetable towards election by 2016, analysts warned. 

GAROWE ONLINE