Somalia Election Talks Stall as Deni and Ahmed Madobe Seek International Guarantees.

MOGADISHU — Efforts by Somalia’s political leaders and the international community to bring Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam Ahmed Madobe to Mogadishu have reportedly stalled over disagreements about guarantees for a proposed electoral agreement.

People familiar with the negotiations said the two regional leaders want any agreement reached on Somalia’s elections to include clear and formal guarantees, including a defined role for the international community in ensuring that the agreement is implemented.

Deni and Ahmed Madobe are reportedly opposed to an arrangement in which international partners would merely facilitate negotiations. Instead, they want the international community’s responsibilities to be explicitly incorporated into the final political agreement.

The disagreement has emerged as international partners intensify efforts to bring Somalia’s federal government, regional administrations and opposition groups together around a common framework for the country’s next electoral process.