Tuesday January 26, 2021
Mogadishu (HOL) - A senior UN delegation led by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan, travelled to Garowe on Monday to meet with Puntland’s President Said Abdullahi Deni and his regional administration. The two sides discussed political reconciliation, security, and humanitarian assistance.
A broad list of UN officials including the Somalia Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Cesar Arroyo; the Representative to Somalia of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Johann Siffointe; and the UN Women Country Programme Manager for Somalia, Sadiq Syed accompanied Mr. Swan and held met with various Puntland cabinet members.
Despite discussing pressing humanitarian issues, The UN Special Representative addressed the elephant in the room, which was the uneasy political situation in Somalia as it prepares for federal elections.
“In this regard, I highlighted the need for constructive compromise between the Federal Government and the Federal Member States to reach agreement over implementing the electoral process. This is in the national interest,” Mr. Swan said.
“We again urge all of Somalia’s leaders to work together and to find ways to resolve outstanding issues so that a credible electoral process can take place across Somalia,” he added. “This is a matter of urgency. It is time for leadership by Somalia’s main political actors. It is time for solutions, not more excuses why agreement can’t be reached.”
Puntland is one of two Federal Member States (FMS) that have refused to participate in the upcoming federal elections scheduled for February 8, 2021. The UN and the international community have grown increasingly concerned that the deadline will not be met and are working on getting Somalia’s stakeholders to implement the September 17 election model endorsed by the FMS, the Federal government and presidential candidates. The visit to Puntland marks the third high-level UN delegation to a Federal Member State in January. Mr. Swan led previous delegations to South West State and Galmudug.