INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS EXPRESS CONCERN OVER REPORTED EFFORTS TO CREATE NEW FEDERAL MEMBER STATE IN HIIRAAN REGION

The United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, Ethiopia, Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States are closely following developments in HirShabelle following the announcement by the State Assembly that it had impeached President Ali Abdullahi Osoble on 14 August. While noting that Mr. Osoble disagreed with the impeachment process, Somalia’s international partners urge all parties to continue the efforts to address this important matter through the established constitutional and legal means and to refrain from any actions that could undermine the consolidation of the state building process.

Considering the substantial political and material investment made in the state formation process and the ongoing capacity building efforts, international partners are particularly concerned about the reported attempts to form a separate federal member state in the Hiiraan region. Unilateral steps that have no legal basis and which are detrimental to the ongoing state formation and stabilization efforts are not helpful and are a cause for concern.

International partners call upon all parties to adhere to the applicable legal framework, the HirShabelle Constitution and the established parliamentary processes. The partners stress the importance of preserving the political stability that is essential to further progress in the state building process and in deepening federalism in Somalia.