Monday January 16, 2023
Baidoa (HOL) - The South West reconciliation meeting between the regional state leaders and the opposition politicians is expected to begin on Tuesday in Baidoa, the interim administrative capital of South West state.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his delegation arrived in Baidoa on Monday for the opening of the conference. High-ranking officials welcomed Mohamud's delegation, including Lower House Speaker Sheikh Adan Madobe and South West President Abdiaziz Laftagaren.
The conference, which was supposed to begin on Monday, but was postponed due to the president's trip and will begin Tuesday.
Last week, federal government sources denied that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud would attend the Baidoa reconciliation conference.
The delegations attending the meeting have arrived in Baidoa recently, and African Union troops and regional state and federal security forces have bolstered the city's security.
The opposition groups said they welcomed the federal Lower House Speaker’s participation in the reconciliation meeting, which was scheduled for January 5 but was postponed for unknown reasons.
The meeting comes weeks after an armed standoff between the two parties in Baidoa left more than ten people dead.
The gun battle broke out at the home of former federal finance minister Mohamed Adan Ibrahim Fargeti, where the opposition-loyal militia had gathered.