MOGADISHU (SD) – The Africa Union has opposed actions of the Lower House of Parliament to extend mandate of Somali government amid political crisis in the horn of Africa nation heightened.

Following AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) on Thursday to discuss Somalia’s political standoff, AU said the extension which was also signed president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo effectively delayed elections, undermined unity and stability of the country.

The continental body called for resumption of talks on the basis of Sept 17 agreement, noting that the move to delay election in the horn of Africa nation would undermine the important gains that country has made over the years with the support of the AU and other partners with huge sacrifices.

“AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) Further expresses deep concern with the possible impact of the current political situation and climate on the cohesion of the Somali federation, the unity of the Somali army and security apparatuses, the process of force generation and the capability to continue to degrade Al Shabaab,” a resolution issued by AU reads in part.

The bloc urged the Somali political leaders to prioritize the country’s national interests and to immediately resume dialogue, on the basis of the September 2020 Agreement and Baidoa technical committee recommendations, in search for consensual solutions to outstanding issues that impede the organization of elections;

According the resolution, the Chairperson of the AU Commission was asked to urgently convene a meeting of Troop and Police Contributing Countries (T/PCCs), at ambassadorial level, as well as of the Military Operations Coordination Committee (MOCC) at the level of Chiefs of Defense Staff, to consider the security implications of the current political impasse, as well as to map options for addressing and mitigating them.

The move comes hours after Somali government accused Kenya and Djibouti of trying to interfere with the outcome of AU’s meeting and campaigning against the horn of Africa nation.

“The Federal Government of Somalia is aware of the outright interference of the countries of Kenya and Djibouti in the ongoing African Union-led efforts to facilitate Africa-led solutions and dialogue to enable the citizens of the Federal Republic of Somalia to determine their future,” Osman Dubbe, Somali information minister said in a televised news conference in Mogadishu. “To us, these actions are blatant infringements of our sovereignty.”