GRUMBLES ABOUT PROGRESSDespite a wobble in international support for Mohamud over financial management concerns in past months, donors at Friday's showed support for the president in his battle with lawmakers, saying Somalia needed continuity at the top.
"The second phase of the operation of course will focus on sifting out Al Shabaab even from the rural areas," Mohamud said.
The slow pace of change in the nation and ongoing hardship for many has fuelled criticism of the president, prompting a group of more than 100 lawmakers to submit a petition this week demanding he quit. Security failings were a big complaint.
The president rebuffed parliamentary critics, saying new joint operations between Somali security agencies and African forces was breaking down rebel networks in Mogadishu, where a spike in attacks particularly around February included an assault on the presidential palace in the heart of the city.
"Security should not be politicized," he said, adding it was tough to stop all suicide attacks in a city of 2 million people.
Mohamud has also been buffeted by criticism of his government's financial management, after two central bank governors quit last year with questions raised about graft in government and the award of some contracts.
The government has dismissed reports of corruption.
But the president said a new Financial Governance Committee comprising three Somali members and three picked by donors, was restoring confidence. Diplomats said reviewing contracts and offering recommendations on such issues were part of its mission.
"International partners showed that they are now more confident in the system than before, and further reforms will be coming in the financial sector," Mohamud said after Friday's talks, adding he hoped for more direct budget support.
Qatar and Turkey already provide direct aid to state coffers, but Western donors are more wary. Norway supports budget spending via a facility set up with World Bank help that, one donor source said, could be expanded in coming months.
Despite a wobble in international support for Mohamud over financial management concerns in past months, donors at Friday's showed support for the president in his battle with lawmakers, saying Somalia needed continuity at the top.
"The idea of delaying everything or stopping everything and changing institutions and people at this stage is not something that any of the international partners were thinking is a very good idea," said one senior Western diplomat at the talks.
Attendees at Friday's talks promised to speed up delivery of projects in several key areas, such as security, humanitarian work and financial management issues, by June in part to help ease public dissatisfaction about the pace of progress.
(Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Andrew Heavens)