Somalia: PM on visit to Baidoa amid deep political division

BAIDOA, Somalia Sept 4, 2014 (Garowe Online)-Federal Government of Somalia’s Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed has arrived in Bay regional capital of Baidoa of southwestern Somalia amidst deeply embedded division among rival politicians on Thursday, Garowe Online reports.

A plane carrying Mohamed’s delegation landed at local airport where he is holding closed-doors talks on the fate of proposed three-region state with key ministers, southwest state technical committee and parliamentarians.

No official consensus has been released to the media and Prime Minister would make stopover in the liberated town of Tiyeeglow later today.

On the other hand, Parliament Speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari who hails from the region is discussing a federal state consisting of Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions with traditional leaders and 20 parliamentarians led by former speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan.

Baidoa, 256km northwest of Mogadishu has been a spot for rallies and parallel regional conferences over the last few months.

On 3rd of March, a controversial election that crowned Madobe Nunow, former Member of Parliament and Information Minister faced tough opposition from Federal Government of Somalia and Jubaland administration.

Organizers within the six-region state conference absorbed Gedo, Lower Jubba and Middle Jubba regions into southwest state map in a bid to breach Jubba agreement which was signed in Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa in August 2013 under the auspices of IGAD by Mogadishu-based Federal Government and Jubaland. 

GAROWEONLINE