UN Security Council members call for resumption of Afisiyoni poll talks between the Federal Government of Somalia and its regional administrations, following a briefing by the United Nations Special Representative to Somalia James Swan.
There was no public statement from the UN security council but some UN security council member countries said the resumption of the Afisiyoni talks is the only way to end the political limbo and situation in Somalia.
“The only way open to Somalis is to resume the electoral talks based on the September 17 agreement,” said a statement from the Norwegian delegation to the Security Council. Ireland, a member of the 15-member Security Council, has sent a similar message, with a statement from the Foreign Ministry calling on Somali leaders to revive electoral talks and hold timely elections.
Indian Ambassador to the United Nations T. S. Tirumurti posted on his Twitter account four points he said he had addressed at the conference, including that the Federal Government and Regional Administrations to return to the negotiating table once more to break the deadlock.
This comes at a time of heightened political stalemate in Somalia, with the Somali government yet to relinquish its April 12th parliamentary extension, which it has termed as the country’s election direction.
The United Nations has said in the past that it will not support an extension but only a free and fair elections and would not agree to any action that could lead to insecurity and chaos in Somalia.
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo this week called on African Union and Democratic Republic of Congo President Flex Tshikedi to mediate the political impasse in Somalia and to oversee negotiations to resolve the stalemate.
BY OSMAN HUSSEIN ALI
