On Friday, Puntland leader Saed Abdilahi Denu held a high-level meeting in Nairobi with representatives from the international community. He met with UN Special Representatives, ambassadors from the European Union (EU), UK, Denmark, Norway, Canada, Germany, Sweden, and senior diplomats from the embassies of the US, Switzerland, Finland, France, Netherlands, and the World Bank. The discussions focused on the current political and security situation in Somalia. According to a statement from the Puntland Presidency, Puntland was praised for its efforts in eliminating terrorist elements and implementing the democratization process. The meeting also covered topics such as humanitarian aid and cooperation in development. During the meeting, ambassadors from the international community urged the Puntland leader to attend the National Consultative Conference (NCC), to which the Somali Federal Government has extended an invitation. The Minister of Interior, Abdi Farah Juha, the representative for politics and international relations, Mohamed Abdirahman Dhabana’ad, the Director General of the Presidential Palace, Mohamed Jama Abdirahman, and the spokesperson and information director of the Presidency, Jama Yusuf Dabarani, were all in attendance. This meeting is part of ongoing efforts by international community representatives to engage with leaders from Jubaland, Puntland, and the Somali Future Council in order to facilitate the National Consultative Conference announced by the Somali President to be held in Mogadishu. The international community, specifically the UN, UK, and EU, are putting pressure on the opposition coalition known as the Somali Future Council to accept the invitation from the Somali Federal Government. Representatives from the international community emphasized the urgent need for inclusive talks to reach a common understanding on the electoral process before the current leadership’s term expires.
