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Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed announced on Thursday (March 8th) that the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) will set up a committee to hold talks with Somaliland and other autonomous regions in the northeast.

Ahmed said the government is ready to communicate with the autonomous region of Somaliland and the newly self proclaimed state of Khatumo, neither of which participated in the recent Garowe II principles to establish a new government structure to replace the TFG after its mandate expires in August, Somalia's Garowe Online reported. Somaliland did, however, participate in the recent London conference on Somalia's future.

"Our northern brothers in Somaliland have accomplished many feats which we welcome and the TFG will set up a committee as soon as possible to hold talks with the Somaliland government," Ahmed said at an International Women's Day event in Mogadishu.

He said that talking to Khatumo state officials is meant to "help unify Somalis, not to bring disorder to Somalia".

Leaders of the Dhulbahante clan formed Kathumo out of the northern regions of Sool, Sanaag and part of Togdheer, which are territories contested between the governments of Somaliland and Puntland. The international community has not recognised it as an independent entity.