The United Nations Security Council convened a special session on the situation in Somalia today, attended and addressed by members including Somali Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdirizak and United Nations Special Representative to Somalia James Swan.
First, Somali Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdirizak said in his speech to the Security Council that an agreement had been reached on Somalia’s elections, which was a key issue for the conference.
Minister Mohamed Abdirizak said Somali leaders, who have been meeting in Mogadishu for days, have made great strides and reached an agreement on contentious issues related to the elections.
The minister also said in his speech this afternoon that the parties had agreed on the key points of contention and would issue a joint statement next Thursday.
While no agreement has yet been announced, the government has shared with the UN Security Council that everything has been agreed, but according to our sources, some issues, including the Somaliland issue, have not yet been resolved.
Northern lawmakers are divided between two factions, one led by Mahdi Guled, close to Villa Somalia, and Abdi Hashi in the opposition camp, who are divided over how to divide the members of the electoral commission that will guide the selection of northern lawmakers.
A meeting between the Speaker of the Upper House Abdi Hashi Abdullahi and the Presidents of Jubaland and Puntland took place two days ago at the Airport Hotel in Halane, to discuss how to resolve the dispute over the process of appointing members of the electoral commissions from the northern regions.
The issue of Gedo region has also taken many hours of debate the last few days and it turns out that no agreement has been reached so far. The two elements of the North and Gedo elections have been difficult to delay in concluding today’s conference.
Since Saturday this week, the Prime Minister, regional states leaders and the mayor of Mogadishu have been holding a meeting at the Avizione Tent, and significant progress has been made in the four days of talks, which are set to conclude on Thursday 27th as announced this afternoon by the office of Prime Minister Roble.
