Mogadishu (Sunatimes) The highly awaited Somali consultative meeting has just kicked off in the capital Mogadishu, where Somali leaders from various regions have been trickling in since Sunday morning.

The three-day meeting is set to focus on improving security, national reconciliation, a new constitution, governance and parliamentary reforms as well as winding up the seven-year-old transitional administration.

Somali president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed who officially opened the meeting attended by leaders from Somali regional administrations and the international community said that he was very much delighted to witness that Somalia is for the first time sorting its problems out.

The president called the meeting as an ‘opportunity’ for the Somali people.

Most of the delegates have reached Mogadishu including those from the regional administrations like Puntland, Galmudug and Ahlu Sunna-Wal-jama’a but Somaliland which broke away in 1991 have no delegates represented it at the talks.

African Union peacekeepers were deployed around the parliament building hosting the talks to provide security.

By Abdisalan Abdulle