Monday July 20, 2020
DHUSAMAREB (HOL) - President Mohamed Farmaajo and regional leaders held preliminary talks in Dhusamareb Monday ahead of the grand meeting where the two sides are expected to announce a way forward on the upcoming elections.
Villa Somalia confirmed the meeting noting all the Federal Member State Presidents were in attendance alongside Prime Minister Hassan Khaire.
Mogadishu mayor Omar Filish was expected to join the meeting Monday afternoon. According to sources, the meeting was meant to lay the framework for the central meeting later in the week, including setting the agenda and protocol.
The leaders last met informally January last year in Garowe during the inauguration of Puntland President Abdullahi Deni.
Relations between Mogadishu and the FMS have remained sour for the better part of President Farmaajo’s presidency paralyzing critical engagements such as the National Security Council meetings.
The last such meeting happened in June 2018 in Baidoa.
The NSC meeting called by President Farmaajo early this month failed to kick off. Federal Member State (FMS) have been meeting in Dhusamareb for the last two weeks.
The meeting will be expected to draw the way forward for the forthcoming elections which the electoral commission NIEC said will not happen on the one-person-one-vote basis this year.