Source: Hiiraan Online
Tuesday October 1, 2019
MOGADISHU (HOL) – Representatives from about 50 countries converged today in Mogadishu for the Somalia Partnership Forum the first to be held in the country since the forum started in London last year.
The Forum which brings together partner countries and institutions among them the UN and AU was opened by Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Guled.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Information, the forum which will close tomorrow will focus on ‘development partnership for Somalia in the areas of social development, economy, security, policy and justice.
The deputy PM said the forum will ‘allow the Federal Government of Somalia and our international partners to highlight the progress and acknowledge the achievements Somalia has made to date’.
Meanwhile Jubbaland president Ahmed Madobe and his Puntland counterpart Abdulahi Deni kept off the meeting amid reports Deni skipped the meeting protesting the Federal Government’s failure to invite Madobe.
Today’s conference follows a similar one in July 2017 in Brussels where Somalia and international partners set a framework on implementing developments in political, economic and security sectors.
President Mohamed Farmaajo will officially open the conference tomorrow and will be subsequently be chaired by Prime Minister Hassan Khaire according to a timetable from the forum.
Major roads in Mogadishu were closed for the event which is expected to last for two days.