Deadlock: Sharif unable to reach agreement with Hassan Sheikh during Nairobi meeting

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Deadlock: Sharif unable to reach agreement with Hassan Sheikh during Nairobi meeting

NAIROBI (HORN OBSERVER) – Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has stated that, following long discussions, he and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud were unable to reach a resolution on the various points they addressed during their meeting held

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Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

NAIROBI (HORN OBSERVER) – Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has stated that, following long discussions, he and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud were unable to reach a resolution on the various points they addressed during their meeting held in Nairobi hotel.

The talks, which took place on Thursday night, were facilitated by Mudulood clan elders and businessmen.

In his statement, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed expressed his intentions to the meeting, stating that despite his good intentions, no consensus could be reached on the issues discussed.

"I attended the meeting with good intentions and with the aim of resolving differing perspectives on the three main issues outlined below,” said Sheikh Sharif.

The three main issues tabled for discussion were: Constitutional matters, political issues and the country’s future and the conflict between the Federal Government of Somalia and the Puntland State Government.

"After long discussions, we were unable to reach a resolution on all the points discussed,” Sheikh Sharif stated in a press release.

To dispel suspicions within the opposition

Prior to the meeting, social media circulated reports claiming that Sheikh Sharif had departed from the opposition following mediation by clan elders between him and Hassan Sheikh, both of whom hail from the same clan.

To dispel suspicions within the opposition, Sharif issued the aforementioned statement.

Sources in Nairobi informed Kaab TV that Thursday’s meeting was brief, with clan elders initially bringing the two men together, though the subsequent discussion was held privately between them.

"After the initial exchange, the Mudulood clan members exited the room, leaving the two men to converse privately,” the source disclosed.

Recent efforts by Hassan Sheikh to weaken the opposition through political appointments and alleged bribery payments, particularly to members of parliament to secure support for constitutional amendments, have seemingly encountered obstacles.

Puntland, a significant federal member state, has severed all ties with Hassan Sheikh’s government in Mogadishu.

While other regional states have remained silent on the matter of constitutional change, sources suggest that similar announcements to that of Puntland may be forthcoming in the coming months, particularly as these regional states initiate their own elections in the near future.