A group of Somali professionals and elders in Isiolo have appealed to Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) and proponents of Governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo’s impeachment to explore peaceful conflict resolution methods, including arbitration. They warned that moving forward with the impeachment without exhausting dialogue could threaten the county’s delicate ethnic harmony.

During a joint statement delivered by Luqman Ahmed, the group acknowledged that while impeachment is a constitutional process, pursuing it could result in lengthy proceedings that would delay essential development efforts and disrupt the delivery of services in the county.

They emphasised that impeachment should remain a last resort, only to be considered once all other options for addressing disagreements have been tried, pointing out that the process could consume time and resources that would be better directed towards benefiting the people of Isiolo.

Chairperson of the Somali Council of Elders, Abdulkadir Shariff Abdullahi, stressed that the elders are neutral and have stepped in to mediate between the parties in order to prevent the worsening of political tensions that have flared since the motion against Governor Guyo was introduced in the County Assembly.