Key milestone reached in Somalia's delayed vote

Members of Somalia’s lower and upper houses of parliament have begun selecting MPs for a committee that will organise the presidential election.

This is yet another milestone in Somalia’s delayed presidential election, which was supposed to be held in February 2021.

It comes as the newly elected speaker of the lower house, Adan Madobe, met the country's security chiefs, warning them that their forces should not get involved in politics.

Last week, an attempt by the police to stop MPs from entering the venue where they were to elect parliamentary speakers and their deputies backfired.

However, it delayed the election, forcing the MPs to vote late into the night.

Analysts say it may take a few weeks for the election to be concluded.

Security remains a key concern as President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo seeks a second term. He faces stiff competition from several candidates including two former presidents.

In the latest in a spate of attacks by the Islamist militant group al-Shabab, an African Union (AU) military base, about 160km (100 miles) north-east of the capital, Mogadishu, was raided in the early hours of Tuesday morning. At least 10 Burundian soldiers were killed, though the militants say the death toll is much higher.

This article originally appeared in BBC News

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