MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Following intense international pressure, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has agreed to allow heavily armed troops from Jubaland and Puntland to enter Mogadishu to provide security for the two regional presidents during talks on elections scheduled to take place in the capital.
Villa Somalia has accepted that each of the two leaders may be accompanied by up to 50 presidential guards, with no restrictions placed on the weapons they are permitted to carry.
The decision marks a sharp reversal from a move taken a day earlier, when President Mohamud ordered two aircraft carrying advance presidential security teams from the two regions to be turned back mid-air. Jubaland and Puntland leaders described that decision as an attempt to derail planned talks aimed at resolving a protracted electoral dispute and a deepening political crisis.
At the time, Villa Somalia defended the move by citing concerns over the image and security of the capital, arguing that the arrival of heavily armed regional forces at Mogadishu airport would send the wrong message about the city’s stability. On Monday, however, the federal government accepted the very arrangement it had rejected a day earlier.
Despite the concession, tensions remain high. Reports indicate that President Mohamud is insisting the talks be held at the presidential palace, while opposition leaders and the presidents of Jubaland and Puntland have previously demanded that the meeting take place at the Halane base. Halane hosts foreign diplomatic missions and is secured by African Union peacekeepers.
According to local media, the two regional presidents are now refusing to attend any talks unless the federal government issues an apology for the decision to turn back their advance teams’ planes on Sunday. Puntland leader has described that incident as a criminal act and an assassination attempt.
The standoff underscores the fragility of efforts to resolve Somalia’s electoral impasse, even as international partners continue to press for dialogue and compromise in Mogadishu.
Contact us: info@somaliguardian.com
