The African Union has urged the Federal Government of Somalia to accelerate the strengthening of cooperation between the Federal Government and the regional states, to resolve the political impasse, and to accelerate the building of the Somali National Army.
The African Union and the countries with troops in Somalia, encouraged the Federal Government to continue political efforts towards building state institutions, ensuring that all member states of the Federation participate in the National Consultative Council to achieve an inclusive process.
Responding to the call, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said that a national consultation would be held next month to discuss priority issues facing the country.
He thanked the African Union, the countries contributing troops to Somalia (TCC), and other partners supporting Somalia, calling on them to continue to stand by Somalia so that the country can achieve full peace and stability.
“Our united efforts to secure Somalia have enabled us to continue the state-building process. We are continuously working to build a unified, trained, and equipped military that can take over security responsibilities. However, we face significant challenges in combating terrorism, while we are constantly building security institutions,” said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at the Entebbe conference.
However, President Hassan Sheikh is facing pressure from international friends to resolve the dispute between the regional states. Sources say that President Hassan Sheikh may soon meet with the President of Puntland, Said Deni. The United States government is supporting the plan for this meeting, in order to reach an agreement on the issues at stake.
