The Minister of Interior Launches the 3rd Forum of Somali Mayors

The Minister of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation of the XFS, Mr. Ali Yusuf Ali (Xoosh), has officially launched the 3rd Forum of Somali Mayors.

The Minister, in a speech delivered at the opening of the forum, highlighted the importance of mayors and local governments in community service and national development. He stated that mayors continuously address community needs, improve basic services, boost local economies, and maintain social cohesion.

“We deal with community needs every day, improve basic services, boost local economies, and maintain social cohesion. Therefore, the success of local governments is the success of the government as a whole,” said Minister Xoosh.

Additionally, the Minister spoke about the role of the Federal Government in strengthening decentralization and service delivery, emphasizing that the government is committed to bringing power, finance, and decision-making to the districts to enhance community service delivery.

“The Federal Government is fully committed to strengthening decentralization and service delivery. I believe that the best way to enhance service delivery is to bring power, finance, and decision-making to the districts,” the Minister stated.

The Minister also noted that this is the third forum organized by the Ministry, and that in recent years important initiatives have been implemented to enhance the capacity of local governments. In conclusion, Minister Ali Xoosh encouraged participants of the forum to exchange experiences from different districts, challenges, opportunities, and existing solutions. He pointed out that districts will be evaluated based on their performance, how they organize the community, and how they enhance the services they provide.

The meeting, which includes leaders from the Federal Government, mayors, and district chairpersons, the international community, and civil society, will focus on discussing and analyzing the impact of droughts, preventing conflicts in local governments, and resilience at the district or community level.