Somalia: Farmajo holds first meeting with Somaliland leader
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Staff reporter Garowe Online
- Posted On 11-02-2020, 08:05PM
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – The president of the Federal Government of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has held the first meeting with the leader of the northeastern breakaway region of Somaliland Muse Bihi, Garowe Online reports.
Sources revealed to Garowe Online that Farmajo and Bihi met at the office of the Ethiopian PM in Addis Ababa on Tuesday Afternoon with details about what may be on the agenda for the closed-door talks remained sketchy.
There were no immediate statements from the Somali government and Somaliland regarding the Addis Ababa meeting.
The president of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland Muse Bihi Abdi has received a cordial welcome upon arrival at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport by Ethiopian State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Aklilu Hailemichael on Sunday.
In July 2019, Somaliland has withdrawn from talks with Somalia's Federal Government in protest against the new commission appointed by President Farmaajo that included General Abdirahman Hussein Guulwade, the son-in-law of the former president, Siad Barre.
The talks between Somaliland and Somalia facilitated by Turkey in March 2015 failed because Somalia included people from Somaliland in their delegation for the talks.
Since assuming office in early 2018, Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopian PM developed close relations with Farmajo that stopped leaders of Somali Federal States from maintaining previous ties with Addis Ababa.
The meeting comes as Farmajo is facing political crises back home and at loggerheads with the Federal States which accused him of interfering with their domestic issues, failure to implement security architecture and not fulfilling political agreements.
The regional presidents criticized the central government for failing in the fight against al-Shabab and using the national security forces to destroy the Federal system and lack of consultation on the constitutional making process and natural resources share.
Mogadishu has done little to ensure that the country holds a one-person-one-vote election in 2020 after investing time and energy in ousting regional states’ leaders who opposed FGS’s unconstructive policy towards the state-building as Somalia is on the path to recovery.
President Farmajo has attended the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union wrapped up on Monday at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa under the theme of "Silencing the Guns” in the continent.
GAROWE ONLINE
