Mogadishu, Somalia — Hamza Abdi Barre hosted a dinner meeting at his residence in Mogadishu with several traditional elders from Puntland, officials said on Wednesday.
Among the elders attending the meeting were Beeldaaje Mohamed Beeldaaje Ismail, Beeldaaje Ismail Beeldaaje Yasin, Sultan Mursal and Sultan Mahmoud Haji Abdullahi, who were welcomed warmly during their visit to the capital.
The gathering, attended by members of Somalia's two chambers of parliament, focused on the needs of communities represented by the elders and ways to strengthen cooperation between citizens and the federal government to achieve lasting stability and development.
Discussions also addressed the broader national situation, particularly developments in Puntland, and the role of traditional leaders in reconciliation efforts and state-building across Somalia.
Barre thanked the elders for what he described as their visible contribution to resolving clan disputes, fostering unity and supporting the country's governance structures.
"I thanked the elders for their important role in building Somalia's state institutions, resolving inter-clan conflicts and uniting communities," the prime minister said, according to a statement released after the meeting.
Somalia's leaders have increasingly engaged traditional elders as part of efforts to promote reconciliation and political cooperation across federal member states.
