Saturday 24 Jun 2025 {HMC} Somalia’s main opposition alliance, the Somali Future Council, has agreed to attend a federal government–led consultative conference in Mogadishu aimed at resolving a deepening political and electoral impasse.
In a statement issued Saturday, the Council said its decision was driven by the need to prevent a constitutional vacuum and to seek an inclusive political settlement that safeguards the unity and statehood of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
The opposition bloc warned that Somalia is entering a critical and fragile phase, with unresolved political and constitutional disputes threatening territorial cohesion and social stability. It cautioned that prolonged deadlock could create openings for militant groups, including al-Shabab and the Islamic State group, as well as other actors seeking to exploit instability in the country.
“The current situation poses a serious risk to Somalia’s statehood and unity,” the Council said, urging political leaders to act with restraint and responsibility.
The Somali Future Council said its participation is conditional on the conference being conducted in an atmosphere of trust, goodwill and genuine dialogue. It called on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to halt the ongoing process of amending the provisional constitution adopted in 2012 and to ensure that the talks focus squarely on the country’s most urgent challenges.
Among the priority agenda items outlined by the opposition are national security, particularly the fight against al-Shabab and ISIS, reaching consensus on an electoral framework for federal institutions, strengthening national unity and addressing the worsening drought affecting large parts of the country.
The Council said its technical preparations for the talks will be led by a committee chaired by lawmaker Abdullahi Abukar Haji, also known as Abdullahi Arab.
The federal government has said the consultative conference is intended to reinforce national unity and social cohesion, promote a democratic process based on dialogue and compromise, and ensure that citizens’ voices play a central role in shaping Somalia’s political future.
The talks come amid mounting pressure on Somali leaders to agree on an election model as current political mandates approach their end. Diplomats and analysts have repeatedly warned that failure to reach consensus could reopen political rifts, undermine recent security gains against militant groups and stall broader state-building efforts.
The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia, along with the European Union and the United Kingdom, recently praised the government’s decision to convene the forum and formally invite the Somali Future Council, describing it as a positive step toward easing political tensions and restoring momentum to Somalia’s fragile democratic transition.
source hiiraan online
