A new peace agreement between Puntland and Galmudug

Federal officials are reported to have brokered a new deal between the administrations of Puntland and Galmudug to end the fighting that has been taking place in the divided city of Galkayo for the last month. Galkayo town is divided into two zones, with the northern part of the city forming part of Puntland state, while the southern part is under the Galmudug administration. Recent fighting has led to the displacement of 50,000 people according to UNHCR and a number of deaths.Under the agreement, both Puntland and Galmudug will implement a ceasefire and refrain from actions that might exacerbate conflict, suspend the construction of the livestock market, allow Galmudug’s airport to resume operations, and create a joint ministerial committee to hold bilateral talks in Mogadishu with the participation of the Somali National Leadership Forum. A previous peace deal was agreed in December 2015 under the auspices of Somali federal leaders and the international community representatives.