Officials from the Arab League arrived in Somalia in order to hold high-level reconciliation talks.
Representatives from the Arab League traveled to the Somali capital Mogadishu for high-level meetings with the country’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mahmud, over post-war rebuilding efforts and resolving political tension within the country.
The delegation, which arrived in Somalia on Thursday, is being lead by First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. During a press conference, Sheikh Sabah Khaled stated that Kuwait will cooperate with other Arab embassies, to support development projects in Somalia.
“It carries a message of support from the Arab countries to Somali president, government and people,” the Kuwaiti foreign minister added.
The Arab League delegation arrives after a call from the Council of the Ministers of the Arab Countries to send a committee to meditate the ongoing power struggle between Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed.
In efforts to resolve the growing political divide within the Somali government, the top United Nations official in Somalia, Nicholas Kay also met with country leaders in Mogadishu last month to discuss the political crisis.
The arrival of the Arab league delegation marks the latest attempts by an intergovernmental organization to help reconcile the domestic political disagreements and sectarian violence that continues to plague the country.
“We appreciate the program set by the Somali president to restore security and stability to Somalia,” the Kuwaiti foreign minister said, adding that the Arab League will offer all forms of support “since Somalia security is part of the Arab security.”
Their visit also coincides with a fresh wave of violent attacks carried out on Wednesday by the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab – killing at least four people, according to police, in an attack on a United Nations convoy.
“There can be no justification for terrorism or such attacks,” the U.N. chief said in a statement issued by his spokesman.
Despite the deadly attack the U.N. secretary-general reaffirmed the United Nation’s strong commitment to working with the people and government of Somalia to help rebuild peace and prosperity for all Somalis.
telesurtv.net
