Somali politicians announced Sunday (April 3) the creation of a new state, Azania, bringing the the total number of new states in the African nation to more than 10.
“Our aim of establishing this administration is to first liberate these regions,” Azania President Mohamed Abdi Gandhi said. “We are not breaking away from Somalia.”
The Somali government has balked at the creation of Azania, The Associated Press reports.
“Taking that path is a disaster,” according to Somali Information Minister Abdulkareem Jama. “The idea that every region and every group of people has to form their own government without the consultation of the national government will only create more differences among communities and encourage Somalis not to come together.”
Meantime, the United Nations envoy to Somalia called on all of the country’s leaders to take part in an upcoming conference on the transition process.
“I urge all Somali leaders to demonstrate their commitment to advancing the peace process by taking part in this meeting,” Augustine P. Mahiga, the U.N. secretary-general’s special representative for Somalia, said in a news release.
The call comes amid reports that members of the Somali interim government would boycott the meeting.
