Somalia: What we know about the lengthy talks in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The leaders of the regional states and Somalia's Federal Government are meeting for the seventh day in Mogadishu to find a way out to break stalmate, Garowe Online reports.

The technical committees from both sides were reported to be at loggerheads over the wording of the final decision agreed during the extended talks at Villa Somalia, the country's Presidential Palace.

Sources tell GO that the Somali government wants to issue a communiqué at the end of the conference while the Federal Member States leaders and their joint committees are opting for an agreement.

Despite this, the leaders have on Friday unanimously approved the National Defense Plan submitted by the Ministry of Defense aimed at uniting the efforts to shore up the fight against Al Shabaab group.

The Government is weighing the security to be top of the meeting agenda as the threat of Al Shabaab becoming more 'greater,' after carrying out attacks in Mogadishu that killed over 400 people in October.

-The agreed points'

The leaders held closed-door meetings on the sideline of the official talks with reports that they reached a deal on underlying issues that will not be part of their communiqué or agreement intended to the press.

Among the matters discussed include Somalia's divided stance towards the Gulf crises began on June 5, according to the sources. The deal happened with the consent of the committees from both sides.

Several regional states in Somalia have supported Saudi-led bloc against Qatar, while the Federal Government in Mogadishu has stayed neutral on the GCC rift, sparking off a stiff deadlock.

GO understands that Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and his Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire have asked the leaders of the Federal Member states in private to defuse the political tension.

For their part, both President Farmajo and PM Khaire assured to stop meddling the internal affairs of the regional states after demanding by the leaders of Galmudug and Southwest States.

This comes amid reports of efforts by Villa Somalia to oust some regional leaders by funding no-confidence motions against the leaders who sided with Saudi and its coalition on the Gulf dispute.

GO has learned that Somali Federal Government is mulling to give section of the funds donated by the International partners to the regional states as part of the agreed points during the talks.

The leaders of the Federal Member States held meetings with the lawmakers from Lower and Upper houses of the Federal Parliament on the sideline of the consultative conference and notified them that they are greatly satisfied with the ongoing talks.

This is not the first consultative meeting between Somalia's Federal government and Federal Member States which often ends up without resolving key issues fueling recurrent political dispute such as [Election model, Federalism, National resources sharing] but rather diffusing the political tension temporarily.

GAROWE ONLINE