Somalia convenes national consultation conference on internal issues

By Mohamed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - Somalia on Wednesday convened the national consultation conference in the capital Mogadishu.

Regional leaders, including South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, participated in a consultation summit led by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

However, Puntland President Said Abdullahi Dani was absent, as tensions between the semiautonomous state and the federal government remain unresolved.

“This conference will concentrate on the nation's security situation, particularly efforts to intensify the fight against the Khawarij," according to a statement issued by the Somali presidency.

Khawarij is a term that the Somali government uses to describe the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabaab.

Al-Shabab has been battling the country’s federal government and the African Union-mandated peacekeeping mission since 2007. The group routinely carries out bombings in densely populated areas across the country.

It said that the leaders will also address the completion of the democratization process and the implementation of previous agreements made by the National Consultative Council.

“Discussions will focus on building governance and fostering cooperation between the states and the federal government to ensure peace and development throughout the country”, the statement added.

The consultation conference was convened as the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia is due to expire in December.