The United Nations and the AU top leaders have called upon Somali leaders to go back to the table in search of an agreement over elections.
On Tuesday, both UN secretary general Antonio Guterres and African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson Moussa Faki commended the people and leaders of Somalia for progress achieved in recent years towards the stabilisation of the country.
The duo said the “hard-won gains are a testimony to the firm determination of the people of Somalia towards lasting peace and prosperity, following decades of instability.”
They also asked the Somali leaders to work in a spirit of compromise to overcome the latest political hurdles to inclusive elections as soon as possible and respect the agreement they reached on September 17, 2020.
Guterres and Faki reiterated their commitment to continue to support the government and people of Somalia on their path to peace and prosperity.
The central government and federal states of Somalia had until February 5, 2021, to seal the deal ahead of the election.
Following the stalemate, Somalia is likely to miss the February 8 deadline for choosing a new president.
In 2017, Somalia's MPs elected Mohamed Farmajo - a Somali-US national - as the country's new president in a vote held in an aircraft hangar.
Ex-Prime Minister Farmajo beat President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in a surprise result.
The vote was held at the heavily guarded airport complex in the capital, Mogadishu, as the rest of the country was too dangerous.
