Wednesday May 24, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud opened the National Consultative Council meeting on Wednesday in Mogadishu.
The meeting was attended by federal and regional state leaders, including the South West President Abdulaziz Hassan Mohamed, Hirshabelle President Ali Gudlawe Hussein, Jubbaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam, Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Kariye, and the Mayor of Mogadishu, Yusuf Hussein Jim'ale.
During the two-day meeting, the leaders will focus on national security, debt forgiveness, and implementing previous agreements.
The President of the Puntland regional state did not attend the conference for the second time, following his absence from the previous meeting held in Baidoa last March. In a statement released in January, Puntland declared itself an "independent government" and accused the federal government of seeking to restore centralized federal governance.
This marks the sixth National Consultative Council meeting since President Mohamud was elected on May 15, 2022.