Somali Government has accused opposition of derailing negotiations in Mogadishu by withdrawing from the agenda, further deepening a political impasse over elections and constitutional reforms.
In a press release issued Tuesday, the government said that since announcing the national consultation platform in March 2025, it has engaged former leaders, politicians, academics and civil society representatives to gather input on state-building and democratization.
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The statement reiterated that Somalia’s “fateful issues” can only be resolved through dialogue and consensus grounded in the Provisional Constitution and national laws. It stressed that the government recognizes the role of all political stakeholders, particularly regarding the electoral process and federal stability.
According to the government, preliminary discussions had agreed to focus on three main points, including establishing a committee to advise on federal elections, holding state-level elections, and convening a second meeting in April 2026 to advance the federal electoral process.
However, the government alleged that on the first day of formal negotiations, some members of the opposition-aligned Somali Future Council introduced new proposals that had not been previously agreed upon and lacked constitutional or legal basis.
Among those proposals, the government said, was a demand that the opposition groups have direct advisory authority over the administration of elections in Galmudug, Hirshabelle and Southwest states.
The opposition has consistently advocated for indirect elections in those three states, similar to processes recently held in Puntland and Jubbaland. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has expressed preference for transitioning toward a one-person, one-vote system and has maintained that the administration of state elections falls under the jurisdiction of respective state leadership structures.
The federal government said it had exercised patience and flexibility to preserve the agreed framework of discussions but described the opposition’s subsequent public statement as a breach of procedural understandings.
Despite the breakdown, the government reaffirmed that the door remains open for dialogue.
“The Federal Government of Somalia reiterates that negotiations remain open to anyone prepared to engage in constitutional dialogue,” the statement said, adding that it remains committed to an electoral process aligned with the constitution and reflective of the Somali people’s will.
The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS), alongside other international partners, met Monday with senior representatives of both the Federal Government of Somalia and the Somali Future Council following the collapse of high-level political talks.
UNTMIS said it was disappointed that the two sides had not reached a deal in the discussions held so far, but has welcomed the stated commitment by both parties to continue efforts toward a constructive resolution and urged renewed engagement
