NCC Gathering Ends Prematurely After Jubbaland Leader’s Exit; Prime Minister Discloses New Date for Continuation

Mogadishu (AX) — The gathering of Somalia’s National Consultative Council (NCC), which kicked off in Mogadishu on October 2, 2024, hit a snag when attempts to coax Jubbaland’s leader, Ahmed Madobe, back into the fold fizzled out.

Madobe made an exit, insisting that Northeastern State and Khatumo’s voices must be heard in the discussions. He claimed their omission would undermine the integrity of the elections across Somalia. With Northeastern State’s head honcho, Said Abdullahi Deni, sticking to his guns on a no-show stance at the talks, tensions have further frayed the bonds between Somalia’s central government and its regions.

Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre, in a bulletin released on Wednesday, pointed out that the powwow among the attending bigwigs would keep rolling, zeroing in on nation-building and bridging gaps between the regional and federal authorities to keep the peace ship sailing smoothly.

“This conference, where the nation’s top brass focused on the country’s security radar—particularly hustling to quash Khawarij factions, fast-track democratization, and carry out past NCC deals—will press on with more chinwag, picking back up on October 26,” the notice proclaimed.

James Swan, the United Nations’ envoy, entreated President Madobe to return to the dialogue during a separate session in Kismayo centered on state evolution and protection. Nevertheless, his endeavors couldn’t breathe life into the stalled conversations.

Marking the ninth meet-up since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s comeback in 2022, this NCC session sought to tackle pressing national concerns yet was mired by the notable departure of significant regional leaders.

Edited by: Ali Musa

alimusa@axadletimes.com

Axadle international–Monitoring