Opposition, PM Roble to meet for second round of talks today

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Prime Minister Mohamed Roble and opposition presidential candidates are meeting today for the second round of talks in Mogadishu in what sources said will focus on firming up demands by the opposition.

Sources have told Goobjoog News the meeting between the PM and the Council of Presidential Candidates (CPC) will focus on two key items. The first is the planned demonstrations by the opposition which were last week postponed for ten days following a meeting between the two sides.

The second item on the agenda is the incident of February 19 when security forces opened live fire at opposition protestors in Mogadishu. The opposition has claimed that security forces had also attempted to assassinate former presidents Hassan Sheikh Mohamed and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed at their hotel in downtown Mogadishu on the night of February 19.

A source privy to the developments said the meeting will resolve the formation of two committees. One will investigate the February 19 incident while the other will work out on the planned protests. The meeting last week resolved that the Federal Government will provide security to the protestors. The ten days elapse end of this week meaning the protests will likely take place on Friday.

The CPC had earlier demanded that outgoing president Mohamed Farmaajo steps and hands over power to a transitional council which it said will be composed of speakers of the federal parliament, Federal Member State presidents, CPC and civil society groups.

The meeting also signals a change of course by Farmaajo whose attempts to dialogue with Federal Member State leaders have severally hit a brick wall. Puntland and Jubbaland have mounted a severe resistance against him and now demand his resignation and participation in fresh talks as a candidate not a president.