As speaker of the Khatumo parliament Reveals members of the negotiating committee appointed by Prof Galayd
By: Yusuf M Hasan
BUHODLE (Somalilandsun) – The proposed reconciliation talks between the government of Somaliland and Khatumo state of Somalia are on track.
This was revealed by speaker of the Khatumo state parliament Mahmud Sheikh Omar Hasan during an interview with somalilandsun
“As part of our preparations we have already established a seven member committee composed of Khatumo leaders pooled from within the country, Somaliland, and from The diaspora” said speaker Mahmud.
In an apparent reference to news published by www.somalilandtoday.com indicating that the President of Khatumo state Prof Ali Khalif Galayd has been removed from negotiations, the movement’s chief legisltors said,
“Prof Galayd is the one who appointed the negotiating committee thence fully behind the talks, therefore unfair for some somaliland media houses informing otherwise”
The negated information Indicated that Prof Galayd is no longer part of the proposed reconciliation talks purportedly due to some infighting among pro and anti talks leaders of the secession movement that aspires to Khatumo state of Somalia to be curved off from eastern Sanaag and Sool regions of Somaliland.
According to speaker Mahmud Sheikh Omar Hasan the entire Khatumo leadership and lay members are fully behind and give full support and approval to their president Prof Ali Khalif Galayd.
On the agreed talks venue of Addis Ababa the Khatumo legislator based at the eastern Somaliland town of Buholde, said that the status are go following three pronged discussions involving the three administrations of Host Ethiopia and negotiators Somaliland and Khatumo.
Stating that he shall be leading the seven member technical negotiation committee in the Ethiopian hosted reconciliation the speaker also revealed its members as being composed of
i. Local Based (Somaliland)
1. Mahmud Sh Omar Hasan speaker of parliament and committee leader
2. Mahmud Ismail Shabaa-Foreign Minister
3. Kaiser Abdi Yusuf –Interior minister and
4. Bayaar Mahdi –Information minister
ii. Diaspora Based
1. Ali Isse Abdi
2. Abdikarim Hasan Jama and
3. Abdirashid Mohamed Farah
All the three Diaspora based reconciliation talks are members of the G11 group that founded Khatumo state
Since the formation of the Khatumo secession movement in 2012 numerous skirmishes between its militia and Somaliland security forces have ensued with much loss of life and livelihoods especially in Sool region.
This malady has completly ceased following peace overtures extended by Somaliland president Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo that saw initial path establishing talks take place in Ainabo town earlier in the year.
Following the ground laying meeting a delegation lead by president Silanyo met with Khatumo leaders in Addis Ababa where final arrangements for Fully fledged peaceful reconciliation talks were agreed upon
While an end to the Khatumoists insurgency dubbed the Somaliland Achilles’ tendon, thence popular support for peaceful reconciliation , the issue of government to government talks protocols agreed upon in Addis Ababa have raised eyebrows
