Uganda Calls for Inclusive Political Roadmap in Somalia as AUSSOM Talks Expose Rifts
KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda is pressing for a broad political dialogue roadmap in Somalia, warning that durable stability will remain elusive unless the country’s competing political forces are brought into a more inclusive process.
New details from Wednesday’s meeting of ministers representing countries that contribute troops to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) indicate that Somalia’s political tensions took center stage in deliberations among defence and security officials.
Uganda, the host of the meetings and one of the largest contributors of forces to Somalia, said a comprehensive political framework was critical to securing long-term stability and widening participation in the country’s political process.
Kampala called on troop-contributing countries (TCCs) to press Somalia’s federal government to open dialogue with political stakeholders, while stressing that Somali leaders must lead the effort to settle disputes among themselves.
“The political differences in Somalia must be addressed through dialogue and a process that brings all stakeholders together,” officials familiar with the discussions said.
Somalia’s federal government and Djibouti, however, maintained that the political disputes should be handled at the heads of state summit set for Thursday in Kampala, even though several key leaders are not expected to attend.
The disagreement underscores the depth of Somalia’s political fractures, as regional and international partners seek consensus before major decisions on security, governance and stabilization are made.
Djibouti has continued to back President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government, while a number of troop-contributing countries, supported by Western partners, have argued that a wider political settlement is necessary for Somalia’s long-term stability.
The debate comes at a sensitive moment for AUSSOM, which is grappling with mounting questions over security funding, troop support and the future shape of international involvement in Somalia’s stabilization campaign.
AXADLETM
