Dhusamareb (AX) – On Saturday, a UN squad, spearheaded by Acting UN Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan, touched down in Dhusamareb for a powwow with Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Kariye Qoor Qoor.
Mr. Charles Mballa, representing the UNHCR, and Mr. Massimo Nicoletti Altimeri, head honcho of the United Nations Development Program, were part of the crew.
The Acting UN envoy and President Qoor Qoor chewed over a buffet of national matters: constitutional tweaks, election maneuvering, security issues, and humanitarian headaches. The UN group tipped their hats to President Qoor Qoor’s pivotal role in these endeavors, urging that they be inclusive and consultative for the best shot at success.
During a chinwag with the local press in Dhusamareb, the acting envoy voiced the UN’s serious worry over recent clan-related violence in some Galmudug locales.
“We’re heartbroken for the families who’ve lost loved ones. Hats off to President Ahmed for rapidly setting up a regional ministerial mediation team to defuse the conflict. We recommend employing this, along with any other peace-building tactics, to settle disputes quickly,” he said.
Last week’s fracas between the Sa’ad and Lelakase sub-clans, sparked by a land squabble, left close to 30 dead and over 50 nursing wounds in the rural stretch between Goldogob and Saah Qurun in the Mudug territory.
On the anti-al-Shabab front, the envoy indicated that President Ahmed stressed that squashing Al-Shabab remains Galmudug’s top security goal, underlining the challenge of rejuvenating areas previously under their grip.
“The UN in Somalia is stoked about the solid teamwork with Galmudug State in boosting police development via the Joint Police Programme. We’re keen to take this partnership to the next level,” he added during the media briefing.
Mr. Swan reiterated the UN’s pledge to back Galmudug’s state-building and peace-building priorities, thanking the President and his administration for their robust cooperation.
