International community disappointed by failed Kismayu talks, call for urgent resumption

International partners in Somalia have called on the country’s leaders to set aside personal interests and agree on the electoral option for the August polls noting that time was first running out after failing to meet the January 10 deadline.

In a statement Tuesday, regional authority IGAD, the EU, US, UK, Sweden and Italy expressed their disappointment that no agreement was reached in the Kismayu talks last week but also welcomed commitment of Somali leaders to urgently reach a compromise.

The partners noted that following talks with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, PM Abdirashid Sharmake and Speaker Osman Jawari, they were of the view that the Somali leaders must present in the coming days an agreed model for the electoral process later this year, an implementation plan, and a political roadmap for the period 2016-2020.

These indicators are in line with the Mogadishu Declaration adopted at the National Consultative Forum in December 16, 2015.

Collapsed talks

Talks bringing together regional administration leaders and the President, PM and Speaker collapsed last week in Kismayu after failure to agree on a common ground. A section of the leaders, Puntland and Jubbaland pursued the District Electoral College option while Galmudug and South West administrations held on to their 4.5 clan based system.

“In the Mogadishu Declaration of 16 December, Somali leaders committed themselves to presenting an agreement by 10 January.  They must now put the interests of the nation first, in order to complete the Somali-led and Somali-owned process that began in July last year and has involved large numbers of Somalis from across the country.  Time is short, and much remains to be done to ensure an electoral process can be implemented by August without delay,” read the statement in part.

The partners called on the leaders to come up with a final solution before the end of the January when UN Security Council will be meeting and the African Union Summit will be commencing in Addis Ababa.