AllAfrica
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon
arrived in Kismayo on Tuesday on what his office called the next stage
of his "Listening Tour" of the country. He has previously visited the
central regions in mid-February where he reached an agreement on
regional stabilization with Ahlu Sunna wal Jama'a, and earlier this
month he negotiated an agreement on federalization, security, economic,
and social issues with the government of Puntland.
On his arrival in Kismayo, at the head of a delegation including
three ministers, four deputy ministers and 12 MPs, he said "We are here
to listen, so we can govern better, regardless of the volatile security
situation, we managed to come to Kismayo. It has been only five months
ago that Al-Shabaab were terrorizing our people in this city." The Prime
Minister said the delegation also wanted to "show our support to the
Somali army and AMISOM forces which were successful with their mission
to defeat Al-Shabaab and to secure the region."
The Prime Minister who stressed he wanted to reach out and show
people how much the government was willing to move Somalia forward, will
be holding talks on reconciliation, federalization and stabilization
with the Kismayo city interim administration, clan leaders and civil
society groups in Kismayo