Blame it on Villa Somalia, mediators lament as Galmudug talks fold

VILLA SOMALIA deployed public resources and planted officials in Galmudug to frustrate talks on the ongoing political crisis which collapsed Thursday, the mediation team made up of Federal Parliament lawmakers have said.

In a ten point communique Thursday evening, the lawmakers directed blamed at the Federal Government and the Presidency for failure of the talks warning the interference would spiral into further political and security crisis in Galmudug.

“We have established that officials from Villa Somalia were deployed here and have been campaigning for a candidate to replace the current leader. They used public resources and the national army to frustrate any efforts of reaching a solution to the crisis” the statement read in part.

Diminished hopes

The legislators said though they were able to meet both factions-President Ahmed Haaf on the one side and deputy president Mohamed Haashi Arabay, State Assembly speaker Ali Ga’al Asir and two deputies on the other, pressure from Mogadishu diminished hopes of any viable solution.

The collapse of the talks now present a state of uncertainty as to the status of President Haaf who was kicked out in a controversial hotel room vote Tuesday.

Villa Somali machinations

In building its argument against Mogadishu, the lawmakers revealed that a candidate favoured by Villa Somalia to succeed Haaf paid for the hotel room which the vote took place adding the seating was un-procedural since it was not chaired by neither the speaker nor his deputies.

“The attempted coup happened in a hotel room booked and paid for by the Villa Somalia candidate.”

“We urge Villa Somalia to desist from further interference in Galmudug as it would jeorpadise relations,” the communique read while warning the Federal Cabinet to avoid any public statements not based on any facts.

The observations by the lawmakers confirm a similar position averred by state presidents Wednesday laying blame on President Mohamed Farmaajo and Prime Minister Hassan Khaire’s doors over the crisis.

“The misunderstanding between the Federal Government and the states over the Gulf issue had led to a targeted campaign by the Federal Government against Galmudug to remove the state president. The statement from the government is evidence of this move,” the leaders warned in a joint statement Wednesday.

Gulf Crisis effects

The current tiff between the federal government and the regional administrations represent the effects of the ongoing Gulf Crisis which have divided the country in the middle with majority of the states pulling in an opposite direction in favour of Saudi-UAE while the Federal Government has stood its ground of neutrality.

The collapse of talks Thursday coincide with the expected return of President Mohamed Farmaajo from Riyadh where he held talks with Saudi King Salman while PM Hassan Khaire is returning home a wee- long visit of the US where he attended the 72nd UN General Assembly.

The mediating team noted the faction led by deputy president Arabay refused to accede to a resolution of the talks resulting in a collapse but a source told Goobjoog News the talks had progressed well by Wednesday night but fractures emerged in the morning over what he termed as calls from Mogadishu.

More fault lines

But fault lines built the more by mid-day Thursday when Haaf filed a letter barring flights from Mogadishu allegedly in bid to block federal government ministers traveling to Adado the venue of the talks. Deputy Arabay shortly penned another letter dismissing his boss’s order noting the airspace was open for any flights to land in Galmudug.

The collapse of the talks pose a security challenge, the legislators observed warning tribal militias had gathered in Adado raising security concerns. They called on the local leaders and elders to ensure peace is upheld urging more dialogue between the two warring factions in the crisis.