President Farmajo repeats his call for dialogue with state leaders

MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has reiterated his call for dialogue the federal government and its member states.

In a statement, the President urged the regional leaders to convene in Mogadishu for a meeting end the standoff between the two level of the government.

President Farmajo said his government was willing to find a solution to the country’s challenges through a framework of consultation, compromise, and protection of the common interest of institutions at the federal and national level.

“We cannot allow political differences to slow down the hardly gained achievements in the rebuilding of the country and institutions. Only unity can make it easier for us to move forward from where we are now,” the statement reads in part.

The president said is ready to address the concerns of the federal member states through a dialogue based mutual understand.

The statement comes the regional state leaders concluded their fifth meeting in Garowe with a resolve to form a new political party and a joint security army.

The radical decisions are contained in an official communique availed to journalists at the end of the three-day conference.

The leaders agreed to form a political party — Hor-u-socod-Qaran or The National Progressive Party — which will unite all the four regional administrations of Puntland, Southwest, Galmudug, and Jubbaland.

Hirshabelle pulled out of the caucus of regional states after hammering out a  cooperation deal with the central government.

Puntland regional leader, Mr. Abdiweli Gaas, was elected interim chairman of the new party.

The regional states also noted that all previous security agreements entered with the Federal Government had collapsed following the government’s failure to implement them over the last two years.

The leaders accordingly agreed to form a joint security architecture that will be spearheaded by the regional states.

The interstate security council will see the establishment of joint regional forces whose main assignment will be to liberate areas under the control of Al-Shabaab militia group.

Each regional administration will contribute one thousand soldiers to the joint army.

The selected soldiers will, after undergoing military training, kick off military operations.

A deadline of two months was given for each regional state to finalize the selections process of its soldiers.