Sunday July 23, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali Prime Minister, Hamse Abdi Barre, held a meeting with members of the two Houses of the Federal Parliament of Somalia elected from the Puntland regional administration at his residence in Mogadishu on Saturday night.
The meeting was also attended by the first deputy speaker of the People's Assembly, Sadia Yassin Hajji, and the second deputy speaker of the Upper House, Abdullahi Ali Hirsi Timacadde. They discussed various issues, including finding a solution to the seven-month-long fighting in Las Anod town of the Sool region.
Las Anod has been a hotspot of conflict since February 6, witnessing clashes between forces in the self-declared state of Somaliland and local militia from the Dhulbahante clan in northern Somalia.
In June, the United Nations Security Council expressed
concerns about the persistent violence in Las Anod, located in the Sool region
of northern Somalia. This ongoing conflict has resulted in a significant number
of civilian casualties and has displaced over 150,000 people. Somaliland said
it was worried the UNSC was "misinformed about the facts on the
ground" and appealed for support and understanding from the world body.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister also briefed the MPs about the recent political agreements of the National Consultative Council, aimed at resolving the political conflicts in Puntland over elections.
The meeting comes when Puntland State's leadership is at odds with federal government leaders, especially President Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Barre. Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni did not attend the last two NCC meetings held in Mogadishu and Baidoa, further escalating the conflict with the federal leaders.
In January of this year, Puntland State announced it would operate as an autonomous government until the federal government drafted a constitution and held a referendum. Puntland President Said Deni accused the federal government of carrying out a plan to return to a centralized federal government.