Somalia to hold polls 'in two years'

[Liibaan]

 

 

Somalia to hold polls 'in two years'

 

 

New Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed makes a pledge to hold elections after two years at a meeting of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development

 

Addis Ababa, Tuesday

 

Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed has promised to hold elections in two years.

 

Sheikh Sharif, who was elected last Saturday, made the pledge at a meeting of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis.

 

Yesterday, President Sharif had a meeting with Igad leaders among them Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Djibouti’s Ismail Omar Guelleh, Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni.

 

A senior Somali diplomat who attended the meeting and who sought anonymity said President Sharif was impressed with ‘’the warm welcome’’ from fellow leaders at the summit.

 

During the informal discussion, Sheik Sharif briefed the leaders about his security, political and humanitarian plan to avert the deteriorating situation in his country.

 

He also expressed his interest to establish peaceful and friendly relations with neighbouring countries.

 

President Sharif underlined his interest to work with African Union peace keepers (AMISOM) in Somalia to ensure security in the country where war has raged for close to two decades.

 

Sheikh Sharif also met with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the sidelines of the summit. They discussed political and humanitarian issues.