MOGADISHU (SD) – Former Somali president, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh has today met with the leaders of Puntland and Jubbaland ahead of FGS-FMS talks in Mogadishu.

Ahmed Mohamed Madobe of Jubbaland and his close ally, Saed Abdullahi Deni of Puntland discussed with Sharif over ways to resolve the current political impasse.

“Today, I met with the presidents of Puntland and Jubaland states. We discussed how the differences over electoral process could be solved and ways to hold commonly agreed free and fair elections in Somalia,” Sharif said in a twitter post.

The Council of Presidential Candidates (CPC) led by Sheikh Sharif alongside the presidents of Puntland and Jubbaland states have long been calling on Farmajo to resign and participate in the talks as a candidate.

Puntland and Jubbaland states had been at loggerheads with the outgoing president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo in recent months over how the elections will be held.

Additionally, Madobe and Deni who arrived in Mogadishu last week for talks want the talks to be expanded to include demands by the opposition which include removal of senior security chiefs whom the opposition accuse of working at the behest of Famrajo.

Another issue raised by the opposition is the security of the protests which it has demanded be secured by their teams instead of government security forces.

The federal government however wants a straight forward approach to the talks putting two agenda items on the table.
 One is the signing of the implementation process of the September 17 deal and secondly giving the nod to the Baidoa Framework agreed to by a joint technical committee.

Ahmed Abdi Kariye Qorqor, the leader of Galmudug state has also landed in Mogadishu.