MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – A deadline for the talks between Somalia’s federal and regional leaders has approached and the two sides are due to sign a deal on elections in the capital Mogadishu on Thursday despite heightened dispute over Somaliland status.
A new round of last-minute talks between Somalia’s federal and regional leaders has resumed in Mogadishu earlier this week in an effort to bring an end to long-simmering tensions over the country’s elections.
International community pushed the two sides to compromise on key issues, including electoral committees, management of elections in Gedo region and the status of the break-away republic of Somaliland.
Earlier, there was a glamour of hope after the government said the two sides agreed on all key sticking points but a statement issued on Wednesday night challenged heartening remarks by some government officials, sparking fear that the process will culminate in a deal sidelining some of the key political stakeholders in the current crisis.
MPs and senior politicians representing the break-away state in the north said they were not consulted and given no details about the status of Somaliland elections, which was among three outstanding issues discussed at the summit.
“We want to make clear to political stakeholders, the Somali public and the international community that we were not consulted and received no information about the issue of Somaliland which was among three outstanding issues for which the summit was held to be resolved,” Somaliland political council, a coalition of lawmakers and politicians from the self-proclaimed state said in a statement on Wednesday night.
The summit is expected to conclude on Thursday and a deal-signing ceremony will be held in the capital Mogadishu, a spokesman for the government said on Tuesday.
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