UN, AU chiefs in Somalia arrive in Baidoa

[Deeq A.]

MOGADISHU (Caasimada Online)—The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Nicholas Haysom, has started to have talks Federal Member States to end latest political tension.

Nicholas Haysom with his counterpart from the African Union (AU), the Special Representative for Somalia, Francisco Madeira arrived in Baidoa town, some 250km southwest of Mogadishu.

The UN and AU Special Representatives held talks with South West State’s President Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden and heard first-hand his views on the recent tensions.

In a Twitter post, UN says Nicholas Haysom had headed straight to the first meeting of his visit, with South West State’s President Sharif Hassan in Baidoa town.

The two sides had discussed on the conflict between the FGS [Federal Government of Somalia] and Federal State Members and how the conflict can be resolved.

The arrival of Haysom and Madeira in Baidoa comes after UN, AU Special Representatives for Somalia visited Kismayo to meet with Jubaland leader, Ahmed Madobe.

“Somalia is not Mogadishu, Mogadishu is not Somalia – it’s necessary for me to visit the regions to see my own staff, but also to see how people live across the breadth and length of Somalia,” . Haysom said.

Earlier this week, Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has called on his state-members for a conference in Mogadishu to end the political instability.

President Farmajo reiterated his call for a consultative meeting with the country’s regional state-leaders in Mogadishu to resolve the current political differences, according to a statement seen by Caasimada Online.

The political rift came after the regional leaders announced on 8th September to have suspended all relations with the central government, following a four-day conference in Kismayo town.

The leaders accused the federal government of interfering with internal regional issues, failure to implement security architecture and not fulfilling political agreements.

However, UN says the decision by the five regional presidents could embolden Al Shabaab and negate the gains made by the African Union Mission in Somalia.

Caasimada Online

Mogadishu News Desk

Caasimada@live.com