Madobe meets with UN envoy hours after al-Shabaab attack on Halane
MOGADISHU, Somalia – Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe arrived in Mogadishu on Tuesday ahead of the election conference to be convened with the federal government of Somalia’s leaders and those from member states as the country strives to unlock the stalemate.
Madobe, who has been critical of outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo’s government, has often insisted on security ahead of the talks, further calling for the withdrawal of federal troops from the Gedo region who have been “seized” by regional administrators.
Prior to his arrival, Madube’s pre – security team arrived in military combat with Jubaland and the Somali flag arrived at Aden Abdulle International Airport, where they were monitoring before the Jubaland head of state landed.
Several sources told Axadlethat the talks will be held around the airport, just inside Halane Base Camp. The date of the talks has not yet been set, but President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has called for a conference to resolve the crisis.
Additionally, sources told Axadlethat Madobe and his Northeastern State counterpart Said Abdullahi Deni will remain at Halane Base Camp during the talks. The two leaders want the opposition team to be involved in the upcoming talks, which aim to revive the agreement before the September election.
His arrival came hours after militants from Al-Shabaab fired six mortar shells at Halane Base Camp, which hosts the AMISOM team and several diplomatic missions. Both UN envoy James Swan and FGS have condemned the attack, which left a number of civilians wounded.
“I condemn this Al-Shabaab mortar attack on the airport’s facility in Mogadishu,” he said. Swan. “We want a speedy recovery for the injured elsewhere in the airport. Despite such acts of violence, Somalia’s international partners remain committed to standing by Somalia’s people and continuing to support the country’s progress. ”
“The mortar attack clearly shows weak attempts by the weakened terrorist organizations, which have since turned to harmless humanitarian aid workers as their target after our joint efforts to wipe them out of the face of our territories,” FGS noted.
AXADLETM
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