Somalia launches formal negotiations with opposition on elections and constitution
The conference follows an agreement reached late Tuesday between the federal government and the Somali Future Council to convene formal talks at the presidential palace.
Mogadishu (Somali Report) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting between the federal government and leaders of the Somali Future Council at the Presidential Palace.
The talks, expected to last several days, bring together senior government officials and opposition-aligned leaders amid mounting political tension with less than three months remaining in the government’s term.
In a brief statement, Villa Somalia said the president led discussions focused on “the general situation in the country, the elections, strengthening Somali unity and solidarity, drought relief and the fight against the Khawarij,” the government’s term for al-Shabab militants.
Free Newsletter · Every Week
Sign up to the Somali Report
Get independent reporting on Somalia, the Horn, and the diaspora — delivered to your inbox every Monday.
Officials said the central objective of the opening sessions is to establish a structured agenda and timetable for negotiations, particularly on unresolved issues related to the electoral framework and constitutional amendments.
The conference follows an agreement reached late Tuesday between the federal government and the Somali Future Council to convene formal talks at the presidential palace. The opposition alliance accepted President Hassan Sheikh’s request to host the meeting at Villa Somalia, with both sides signaling a willingness to compromise in order to create conditions for
dialogue. Justice Minister Hassan Moalim, who chairs the conference’s organizing committee, said ahead of the opening session that holding one-person, one-vote elections remains the government’s top priority. The opposition, which includes leaders from Puntland and Jubbaland, has raised concerns about the pace and substance of constitutional changes currently under debate in parliament and has called for a negotiated electoral arrangement to prevent a constitutional vacuum.
About the Author
Osman Hassan is a Senior Editor at the Somali Report based in Nairobi with over 15 years of experience in journalism. He has worked with local and international media outlets in Somalia and is an award-winning journalist. His reporting focuses on politics, security, and regional affairs in the Horn of Africa.