BAIDOA, Somalia – Somalia’s Federal Member States presidents convened a high-level conference in Baidoa city, the interim seat of Southwest State on Monday, Garowe Online reports.

The forum which is attended by all leaders of the five regional states, namely Puntland, Galmudug, HirShabelle, Galmudug, Jubbaland and Southwest focuses on key issues, including the national security.

In his speech at the opening of the meeting, Jubbaland leader Ahmed Madobe has accused Somali government of being busy with social media propoganda instead of the liberation of the country from Al-Shabab.

This is the 2nd summit since the Council of Inter-state cooperation was formed in 2017 in Kismayo city.

According to the sources in Baidoa, the leaders will release a joint communique at the conclusion of their two-day annual meeting.

The relations between Somalia and the Federal States have been 'at low point' in the past months due to the government's foreign policy towards the Gulf crisis.

The regional leaders have repeatedly blamed the Mogadishu-based Federal Government of Somalia for taking sides in a deep rift in the Arab rift and discarding its neutrality.

Baidoa conference comes as Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo is currently in Doha for a two-day official visit to Qatar, which began on Sunday, May 13.

GAROWE ONLINE