Somalia’s Parliament Speaker Adan Mohamed Nur aka Madobe holding talks with ATMIS commanders in Baidoa
Security forces in Somalia’s South West state have handed over the security of Baidoa city to African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) ahead of the reconciliation conference, local media reported.
Somalia’s Parliament Speaker Adan Mohamed Nur aka Madobe, who is leading the reconciliation efforts, is reportedly in Baidoa and has met with ATMIS commanders there to discuss the necessary security protocols.
The conference, which was initially scheduled for January 5, 2023, was postponed after the opposition rejected the seven-member technical committee formed by Madobe to facilitate the conference over the individuals’ impartiality and lack of consultation.
United under the Union for Presidential Candidates (UPC), the opposition also reportedly demanded that the security of the conference be handed over to ATMIS following deadly clashes last December between regional security forces and pro-opposition forces.
Tensions have been soaring in Baidoa, the interim capital of South West state, since the regional parliament controversially voted to extend President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed (Laftagareen)’s term for another year which was initially scheduled to end on December 19, 2022.
