Deteriorating situation in Somalia has international community worried

Mustafa Kamel

Some key international players have called for holding presidential elections in Somalia soon so that the eastern Africa country can avoid sliding into chaos and violence.

This came in the wake of a suicide attack on a commercial mall on February 23 in Somali capital Mogadishu.

Chairman of the African Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat expressed concern over deteriorating security and political conditions in Somalia.

These conditions threaten the gains made in this country over the past decade, Mahamat said.

He denounced all forms of violence in Somalia, calling on Somalis to abstain from involvement in activities that can jeopardize their country’s peace and security.

Somalis are urgently required to reach a consensus to end the current political deadlock, Mahamat said.

He called for dialogue between Somali parties with the aim of reaching a settlement to the ongoing conflict on elections.

Mahamat said Somali politicians need to work to serve the best interests of their country, not the interests of their parties.

The Somali people suffered for long, Mahamat said.

He warned against the effects of violence on Somalia’s transition.

Call for protests

Somalia’s opposition refused, meanwhile, a bid by President  Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo  to outstay his presidential term in power.

Farmaajo’s term came to an end earlier this month.

The opposition called for holing presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible.

It called for staging peaceful protests on a main square in Somali capital Mogadishu against the president and his plans to keep staying in the office of president, despite the end of his presidential term.

Farmaajo