Somalia holds external forces responsible for blocking their approach to elections

Against the backdrop of the outbreak of violence in Mogadishu, the Somali government accused external forces of impeding efforts to reach a final agreement paving the way for general elections in the country.

In a statement issued yesterday, Saturday, the Somali Foreign Ministry affirmed that the country’s government fully agreed on the need to resolve the remaining outstanding issues related to the political agreement concluded on September 17 and to settle all issues peacefully through dialogue.

The statement indicated that the government originally proposed organizing elections according to the “one person – one vote” model, as it allows citizens to cast their vote directly in both parliamentary and presidential elections, and it later agreed, on September 17, due to the opposition of some federal state heads to that initiative, to conduct Indirect elections.

The statement continued, “Unfortunately, despite the agreement and the determination of the Somali federal government to solve the problems, the influence of external forces remains an obstacle preventing the completion of the agreement in preparation for going to the elections.”

The statement stressed that some of the potential candidates for the presidency of the country, prior to the supposed meeting between the prime minister and heads of federal states to agree to a technical agreement, decided to “turn around and skip the process to take the path of illegality and armed rebellion that was presented as a peaceful demonstration guaranteed by the constitution.”

The statement stated: “In this regard, we express our regret and warn against some misleading and false statements that ignore the facts and appear in some cases supportive of the rebellion, which come from some circles widely known for their rude behavior in the region, as they falsely pretend to be the owner of the future of other countries.” What contradicts the standards and principles of international law. “

This comes against the backdrop of clashes in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, last Friday between pro-government forces and the opposition, while the opposition yesterday called on President Muhammad Abdullah Muhammad, whose term expired on February 8, to withdraw his candidacy for the upcoming elections.

For its part, the Arab League expressed its deep concern about the escalation of violence in Mogadishu, and affirmed that it is closely following these developments, calling on all Somali parties to immediately engage in a comprehensive dialogue to reach an inclusive agreement on the means to hold elections and to commit to fully rejecting the use of violence or hinting. with it.

A responsible source in the League’s General Secretariat expressed its commitment to support “all efforts aimed at finding a Somali consensual solution to this situation, in a way that enhances the security and stability of the country and meets the aspirations of the Somali people.”

Source: RT

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