Mayor of Hargeisa, Abdikarin Ahmed Mooge, on Sunday said that talks between the opposition groups and the Somaliland government would restart soon, without giving a specific date.
He urged the traditional elders and the self-appointed mediation committee to continue their efforts in the negotiations and added that the door to dialogue remains open.
Responding to the mayor’s remarks, Somaliland opposition parties said they have faith in the self-appointed mediation committee and are waiting for them to join the table.
Mooge added that they had resolved to provide security for the opposition leaders, as well as to provide them with a legitimate security force and to remove any illegitimate security guards.
On the tenth of this month, the self-appointed mediation committee persuaded Somaliland’s opposition parties to suspend their planned protests and return to the negotiating table.
The committee comprises traditional elders, Sheikhs, and business people from all regions of Somaliland.
Somaliland police were criticized for forcibly breaking up a protest rally organized by opposition parties, injuring at least ten people- mostly opposition members – and detaining more ahead of the controversial presidential election scheduled for November 13th.
