Somali PM Abdiweli Sh. Ahmed and IGAD Ambassador to Somalia Abdi Afey. The Inter-Governmental authority on Development Organisation has pledged continued support for the Federal Government of Somalia.
Hiiraan Online
By Shafi’i Mohyaddin
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
The Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) said it was in line with the Somali government’s position on the contradicting conferences, which are being held in Baidoa, a town in south western region of Somalia.
In a press statement, IGAD ambassador to Somalia, Mohamed Abdi Afey said his organization welcomes warmly the Federal Government of Somalia’s statement, issued in Mogadishu on 3 March 2013, on the situation in Baidoa.
The statement released by IGAD, which HOL obtained a copy, highlighted paragraph 6 of the communiqué of the 21st extra ordinary summit of heads of states held in Addis Ababa on 3 May 2013 in which regional states agreed on:
- Leadership in the process of stabilization and formation of regional administration to be left to the Somali government;Respect of the provisional constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia;
- All inclusive consultative process with the peoples of Somalia;
- Supportive role of IGAD based on the priorities of the Somali government; and
- Fighting Al Shabab as the primary focus of the Somali Federal Government; AMISOM; regional and international partners.
The statement also referred to the agreement between the Federal Republic of Somalia and the Juba delegation signed in Addis Ababa in August last year in which IGAD was stated as a guarantor. The agreement recognises the formation of the Juba interim administration, which consists of Gedo, Lower Juba and Middle Juba.
“IGAD would like to stress that the formation of any regional administration should be in line with Somalia’s provisional constitution. IGAD also calls upon all stakeholders to respect the Addis Ababa agreement and to give the leading role of the formation of regional states to the Federal Government of Somalia” the press statement added.
Ambassador Afey said that IGAD express its concern to the community and the stakeholders in order to protect people and the region from terrorist attacks.
IGAD’s decision comes as a regional state president was appointed at one of the opposing conferences in Baidoa on Monday. Delegates elected Madobe Nunow Mohamed as president of the South Western State of Somalia, which consists of six regions, including Gedo and Juba regions.
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