Puntland and Jubaland leaders are ready to meet with the Federal Government and other regional leaders for the first time in a face to face setting. The Somali president had planned this meeting earlier with all regional leaders, but was shunned by Said Deni and Ahmed Madobe.
The meeting was postponed so many times due to Puntland and Jubaland leaders, Said Deni and Ahmed Madobe, raising various concerns.
This time again, Somalia’s Minister of Information Osman Abukar Dubbe said on his Twitter that President of Somalia Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo had called on regional leaders to convene in Mogadishu.
“The President of the Republic of Somalia Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo is calling again on the presidents of the 5 regional states and the federal government in meeting on Saturday the 3rd of April 2021 at the Afisyoni Airbase to discuss the implementation of the September 17th, 2020 and February 16th, 2021.”
Said Deni, the head of the Puntland administration, reacted swiftly to the Federal Government’s message and surprisingly giving the credit of this conference to the international community.
“The Government of Puntland welcomes the efforts of the International Community to resolve the challenges surrounding the elections, and agreed that on Saturday April 3rd, 2021, the Heads of the Federal Government of Somalia and the regional states will convene for a preliminary meeting on electoral issues.” said in a statement posted on the Puntland President’s Facebook page.
He added: “The conference, organized by the international community, aims to help Somali leaders reach an agreement on the agenda of the main conference and how best to conduct it.”
According to political analysts, Said Deni’s quick response this time shows that he is ready to attend the long-awaited conference after nearly four weeks confined in Halane hotel.
They stressed that “there was no other indication that the international community had convened the conference. Obviously, there was an intense pressure from the UN Security Council members as we have seen lately”.
“We could explain Said Deni’s assertion as another attempt to discredit this administration’s effort to make this meeting possible and to show that he still has the upper hand.”
“In reality, cornered and threatened, Said Deni and Ahmed Madobe, after blocking the elections for months, have no other choice but to meet the Somali president without preconditions”.
