out that this was a direct defiance of one of the key messages of the Council’s March presidential statement. There was also a high level of frustration with the overall performance of Somali leaders, their continued infighting and failure to deliver in key areas in spite of strong support from the international community. There appeared to be a sense that the present situation cannot go on.

Most members seem to feel that Council action in May should reinforce developments in the consultations conducted by Mahiga. There are hopes for some outcome from the meeting to be convened in Mogadishu. At press time, a date had not yet been fixed for the meeting, but June seemed most likely.
The UK is the lead country on Somalia.

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A U.S. Senatedelegation visited northern Somalia on Saturday in a rare visit to the war-torn country.
The delegation, which was led by Sen. Mark Kirk, a Republican from Illinois, met with the president of Puntland in the town of Bossaso, the region's commercial hub.
The U.S. government has announced what it calls a two-track approach to Somalia. One track is continued support for the U.N.-backed government in Mogadishu, while reaching out to leaders in other parts of the country.
Somalia has been without a fully functioning since 1991 Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre central government AP

Somalia: US delegation arrives at Puntland State

(tf.sf) Bososa Somalia : A delegation from the Untied States government led by US Senator Mark Krak on Saturday arrived at Boaso, the port town of Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntlnd.

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