UN welcomes ongoing pre-election meeting in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The United Nations has yet again welcomed the ongoing leaders meeting in Dhusamareeb, the regional administrative capital of Galmadug, adding that the meeting would help the country to move forward after days of the standoff in the Horn of Africa nation.

Currently, President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo is meeting with five regional leaders and the Governor of Banadir Omar Filish, with the team now set to find the best way to solve pre-election stalemate which threatens stability in the country.

But the meeting has faced criticism from opposition leaders led by former Presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud along with the Speaker of the Senate Abdi Hashi, who accuse Farmajo of plotting to rig elections in coming weeks.

And the United Nations now says the leaders convening in Dhusamareeb must find a way to solve the crisis, adding that both parties should be ready to make compromises for the sake of stability in the country. The UN also wants immediate implementation of September pre-election deal.

"Somalia's international. partners welcome the ongoing discussions of Federal Govt. and Federal Member State leaders in Dhusamareb, and urge participants to continue their dialogue: now is the time to reach consensus on the implementation of the 17 Sept. agreement on elections," UNSOM said in a tweet.

Among others, a number of stakeholders have accused President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo of appointing NISA agents, civil servants and loyalists to the electoral committee, which is set to conduct elections in coming days. The team wants Farmajo to rescind his decision.

But Farmajo had insisted of going on with partial elections, a move which was castigated by the international community and the opposition. The UN has been supporting stability and peace in Somalia, including the breakaway region of Somaliland.

“UN support is wide-ranging. It includes humanitarian and development help, and my colleagues and I were able to see some of that support first-hand with a visit to a World Food Programme-operated nutrition and medical centre,” James Swan said in a recent trip to Hargeisa.

“At that centre,” he continued, “we observed other UN agencies that are providing integrated food, nutrition and health support to babies, young children and their mothers.”

GAROWE ONLINE