Friday March 12, 2021
Mogadishu (HOL) - The U.S. Ambassador to Somalia, Donald Yamamoto, met with Jubaland State President Ahmed Madobe at Halane Base Camp in Mogadishu on Thursday amidst the ongoing talks between the federal government and federal member states on the electoral crisis.
The pair were tight-lipped about the specifics but told reporters that the election process dominated the agenda.
The meeting comes a day after Ahmed Madobe met with high-profile opposition candidates. In one sit-down, Madobe met with former Presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud before getting together with former PM Hassan Ali Khaire and Wadajir Party Leader Abdirahman Abdishakur.
The four presidential hopefuls make up the dominant part of a 14-person coalition called the Council of Presidential Candidates in Somalia that includes former Finance Minister Hussein Abdi Halane and former Parliament Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden. The Council has called for President Farmajo to step-down since his legal mandate expired on February 8th.
The U.S. government has previously urged President Farmajo and regional leaders "to put aside the search for political advantage and instead act in the interests of the people of Somali," warning that the political instability contributes to the deteriorating security and economic development of the country.