US urges Somali leaders to hold elections immediately

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement issued by the US State Department. “We call on Somalia’s federal and member state leaders to set aside narrow political objectives, uphold their responsibilities to the people of Somalia, and agree to immediately hold transparent and inclusive elections,”. After Somalia missed a deadline to hold an election by February 8 when President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo refuses to step down, and extending his term, sparking a constitutional crisis in the already-fragile state. The United States supports the right of Somali citizens to protest peacefully and firmly opposes the use of violence by any party. The United States called on Somalia on Friday to hold elections right away and end a deadlock that Washington says is threatening the strife-torn Horn of Africa country.