The Federal Constitution of Somalia has been approved by the parliament
In a historic move, members of both houses of Somalia's Federal Parliament have voted to ratify a federal constitution after years of debate and delays.
The parliamentary session on Saturday was attended by 254 MPs from the Upper House and the People's House.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has invested a lot of effort in completing and implementing the constitution which has faced opposition.
Puntland's regional government has rejected the process as one-sided, while former presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed have expressed concern over the lack of consensus.
The Somaliland region has declared its independence and did not participate in the process.
Despite being ratified by parliament, the constitution still needs a public referendum to complete Somalia's transition to a permanent constitutional democracy, an important task that awaits Mohamud's government.
The vote marks an important step but challenges remain in uniting the Horn of Africa nation on the basis of the constitution.
Somalia is still facing a major challenge of terrorism where Al Shabab terrorists carry out frequent attacks in the country.
