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Two delegations
from Djibouti arrived in Somalia in an attempt to persuade
Somali leaders to participate in a peace conference now expected
to take place on 2 May, AP news agency reported.
The conference
was supposed to run from 20 April to 5 May, but was halted
by controversy and anti-Djibouti demonstrations in Somalia
the day before it was due to begin.
On Wednesday
one delegation from Djibouti met with leaders in Baidoa, capital
of Bay region in southern Somalia, and the other delegation
visited Hiran region in central Somalia.
The four-member
delegation led by Iddris Harbi Farah, a parliamentary official
was welcomed by the head of the Rahanwein Resistance Army
(RRA) which controls the Bay region, and the local governor.
The RRA
has been among the most outspoken of the factions opposing
the talks in Djibouti, but has participated recently in talks
with Djibouti officials, AP said.
In the
last two weeks, Djibouti delegations have visited Puntland,
Mogadishu, and Somaliland to try and persuade the different
factions and leaders to participate in talks which are the
brainchild of Djibouti President Ismael Omar Guelleh, and
supported by international bodies including the OAU and IGAD.
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