Puntland hails PM Roble as differences with Farmaajo escalate

FILE PHOTO: Puntland State House

GAROWE, Somalia - The state government of Puntland has paid tributes to Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, whose tenure has seemingly given Somalia a new political chapter, which could see the country hold peaceful presidential polls.

For several months, Somalia was embroiled in a political quagmire, which led to the unprecedented delay of polls, besides squabbles pitting the federal government, member states, and the opposition in the country.

But Roble, who took over in October 2020, has managed to sign an agreement with the opposition, paving the way for elections. Already, several states have started electing senators in an exercise that will be concluded in the coming weeks.

In a statement, Puntland praised Roble, during this transition, taking the country to elections and strengthening diplomatic ties with other countries. The issue of elections was settled in May after weeks of differences among stakeholders.

Puntland further insisted that it is confident that PM Mohamed Roble will deliver the country from the current maladministration, adding that all federal states should rally behind him during "this difficult moment" in his political career.

Roble has been under fire from ThE Villa Somalia for pursuing an agreement with Kenya. On Sunday, the PM held meetings with Kenya's Foreign Affairs Minister Raychelle Omamo ahead of his planned visit to Nairobi, which Farmaajo has reportedly opposed.

The PM also dismissed the move by Farmaajo to bar government institutions from entering the deals with countries amid the ongoing elections, adding that the cabinet has powers to enter an agreement with foreign countries. It's believed that Farmaajo's decree aimed at undermining Roble's planned visit to Nairobi.

The statement also covered a wide range of issues surrounding the election and the transition period. It noted that significant progress had been made since Mohamed Roble assumed office, among them, the resolving political impasse between FGS and FMS.
 
GAROWE ONLINE