Revoke the extension resolution first, US tells Farmaajo

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The U.S has called for the annulment of the April 12 unilateral Lower House resolution as a first step towards a return to negotiations for elections.

While welcoming the announcement by outgoing president Mohamed Farmaajo to vacate his stance on the illegal two-year extension, the U.S State Department said both Farmaajo and the Lower House must first void the resolution.

“We call on the President and Parliament to act swiftly to annul the April 12 mandate extension bill,” a statement by the State Department spokesperson Ned Price read in part.

The U.S also called for an immediate return to talks premised on the September 2020 Agreement without conditions.

“We urge Somalia’s national and Federal Member State leaders to meet immediately to finalize a consensus-based electoral model and hold parliamentary and presidential elections as soon as possible on the basis of the September 17 agreement.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Tuesday during a virtual visit to Kenya that Farmaajo’s continued stay in power was a threat to Somalia’s stability and the war against Al-Shabaab.

Farmaajo yielded to local and international pressure Tuesday to drop his extension bid and return to talks on resolving the electoral row. “I have decided to appear before the members of the House of the People of the Federal Parliament on Saturday to gain their endorsement for the electoral process that as agreed upon between the Federal Government, the Heads of Federal Member States and the Governor of BRA,” the embattled leader said in a national address.

This followed fighting and displacement of populations in Mogadishu as the opposition and government forces inched closer to a clash.