Puntland and Galmudug states began to withdraw their troops and armaments from the battlefields in Galkayo, as a government-brokered Ceasefire takes into effect in the central Somalia on Friday.
The neighboring regional states signed a peace deal recently to end their conflict in Galkayo which has claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians and displaced thousands of residents from their homes.
Somali caretaker PM Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke and his interior minister Abdirahman Odowa have made efforts towards the peace in Galkayo as they pushed both sides to sign the ceasefire agreement.
Abdweli Mohamed Ali, Puntland’s president and his Galmudug counterpart Abdikarim Hussein Guled promised the observation of the ceasefire and complete withdrawal of forces from the battle zones.
Galkayo town is divided into two zones, where the northern portion forms part of Puntland state, while its southern part is governed by the Galmudug administration.
