Opposition in Somalia’s South West State table conditions for reconciliation
A picture of Somalia's Parliament Speaker Adan Muhammad Nur (Madobe) who announced the reconciliation conference scheduled for January 5, 2023.
Members of the opposition in Somalia’s South West state have tabled conditions that should be met if they are to participate in the upcoming reconciliation conference announced by Somalia’s Parliament Speaker Adan Mohamed Nur aka Madobe.
In a joint letter to Madobe, the opposition members who have united under the Union for Presidential Candidates (UPC), voiced their dissatisfaction with the seven-member technical committee formed by Madobe on the January 1, 2023, to facilitate the conference saying they were not consulted.
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.
Last month, deadly clashes took place between regional security forces and pro-opposition forces guarding the residence of presidential candidate Mohamed Aden Ibrahim aka Farkeeti.
In a swift move to cool down tensions, Madobe, who also hails from South West, called for a reconciliation conference which was agreed by Laftagareen as well as the opposition.
In their letter, however, the UPC denounced the technical committee as “impartial”, lacked female members, as well as lacking a clear list of tasks.
The opposition also demanded that protesters arrested during the clashes be released and the security responsible for violent repression of demonstrations be held accountable.
