Jubaland president meets with US ambassador in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Firebrand Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe on Wednesday held a closed-door meeting with US ambassador Donald Yamamoto in the Halane compound in Mogadishu on Thursday.

"We discussed the political Impasse and finding a way to resolve some of the challenges facing the election process," said Madobe after the meeting.

Jubaland leader has met a host of opposition leaders in Mogadishu, hours after meeting UN envoy to Somalia James Swan, following calls to have a pre-election conference in the country.

Madobe arrived in Mogadishu on Tuesday and was booked at the Halane Base Camp, the heavily fortified base, which hosts among others, the US embassy in Mogadishu, the United Nations, and the AMISOM team.

Madobe, who has been critical of the leadership of outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, is determined to find a solution to the current predicament but has often insisted that elections will not take place, not until federal troops are withdrawn from the Gedo region.

Yesterday [Wednesday] evening, the Jubaland leader held talks with former Presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud within Halane Base Camp, with sources saying the team discussed modalities of having an inclusive electoral process in Somalia.

The two former leaders have been calling for the removal of federal leader Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, arguing that his term had expired. According to them, the outgoing leader should hand over power to a transitional authority, which should oversee elections.

Earlier at Halane, Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe met with former PM Hassan Ali Khaire, currently one of the opposition candidates vying for to seat. According to sources, Madobe and Khaire discussed the latest political situation, mainly the stalemate over the electoral process and upcoming talks.

The international community has been piling pressure on Farmajo and opposition leaders to reach a compromise over elections, but both parties are yet to achieve the goals. It's anticipated that the leaders will find a way of implementing the September 17 pre-election deal that was signed last year.

GAROWE ONLINE