Former Puntland president picked as chief mediator in Somalia’s political crisis

MOGADISHU, Somalia – The former president of Puntland, a semiautonomous state in northern Somalia has been selected to lead a new parliamentary mediation committee tasked with helping resolve political crisis pitting regional states against the central government.

The political crisis was triggered by a recent decision by the country’s five Federal state leaders who have announced that they have severed ties with the government accusing it of failing to deliver on its promises and not sharing the country’s resources with their states.

The ongoing political crisis which also saw Federal state leaders missed out a planned meeting discussing over the crisis convened by Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo last month has prompted calls for mediation in ending the stalemate which officials warned would threaten to undermine the fight against al-Shabab.

With no sign that the two sides were ready to meet or compromise, members of Somalia’s upper house has voted to select Abdirahman Farole, a veteran politician and senator to chair a new mediation team from both houses to push for a new resolution in ending the crisis.

Earlier, Mr. Farole has also led another team of mediators that shuttled between Somali government and Puntland president Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, one of the five regional leaders in the center of the political tension involving the government and regional states.

Concerned by the crisis, the international community has called for the two sides to end the crisis through talks in the interest of their country which is recovering from decades of civil war.

Analysts say that even if the government softens its line, it is hard to see regional leaders fighting for resources quota show compromise, something that could further complicate the situation.

 However, Mr. Farole, making use of his closer relationship with leaders from the two sides hopes that he can bring them to the negotiating table to unravel the situation.

GAROWE ONLINE