Somalia’s Political Divide Widens as Mogadishu Discussions Conclude Without Agreement on Elections
MOGADISHU, Somalia – Efforts to stabilize Somalia’s delicate democracy hit a snag as the National Consultative Council (NCC) discussions ended in dispute on Wednesday, sparking further discord.
Sources indicate that the NCC plans to regroup on October 27, but the attendance of Northeastern State’s leader, Said Abdullahi Deni, and Jubaland’s Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe remains uncertain following their vocal dissent during the recent conference.
During the gathering, leaders struggled to reach an agreement on managing the forthcoming regional elections. There’s a push to align local and national polls—a move fraught with constitutional challenges, potentially leading to extended terms.
The council, featuring Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the heads of Somalia’s five regional states, the Prime Minister, and Mogadishu’s Mayor, faced a tough roadblock. The Presidents of Jubaland and Northeastern State, key figures in these discussions, abstained.
Some regions yielded to President Mohamud’s proposal for a year’s term extension and delaying regional elections to late 2025. Madobe objected to this plan before departing Mogadishu, whereas Deni remained absent, having severed ties with the capital.
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre declared on Wednesday that talks would resume on October 26, yet withheld commentary on efforts to courtfully lure back the boycotting leaders of Jubaland and Northeastern State to the council.
Prime Minister Barre emphasized that while the NCC meeting, initiated on October 2, continues at Villa Somalia, significant stakeholders still hold out.
Lack of consensus stems mainly from the Federal Government of Somalia’s (FGS) solitary strategizing on both election planning and contentious constitutional amendments. President Mohamud advocates for these changes and supports a switch to universal suffrage elections.
Northeastern State and Jubaland’s NCC boycott underscores the entrenched fissures in Somalia’s political structure, pointing to ongoing confrontations between the FGS and Federal Member States over constitutional and electoral reforms.
The Prime Minister’s insistence on the continuation of discussions appears more like papering over cracks, as the absence of key regional leaders casts doubt on the authenticity and impact of any resolutions reached, analysts forewarn.
Former President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as Farmajo, voiced concerns, warning that the NCC’s failure to deliver results jeopardizes Somalia’s political future. He implored the Federal legislators to rescue the nation from potential turmoil.
Historically, Farmajo himself pushed for a similar term extension, which faced backlash from Hassan Sheikh and his allies who backed Ahmed Madobe’s rise as Jubaland’s President back in 2019.
Undeterred, President Mohamud insists that the nation’s upcoming leader will be determined by “the ballot box,” vowing a landmark one-person, one-vote election—a feat not seen in 55 years—though his administration still struggles with widespread authority and security threats from Al-Shabaab.
AXADLETM
