Somalia: Opposition Rejects Hassan Sheikh’s Talks Without International Mediation
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s political deadlock has deepened after the main opposition alliance, the Somali Future Council, said it would boycott talks called by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose term has ended, unless international partners help mediate the discussions.
The council has reportedly told a mediation quartet made up of the United States, Britain, the European Union and Turkey that it will not attend the meeting planned for Saturday, November 14, at the presidential palace in Mogadishu.
Despite rejecting the proposed venue and format, the alliance said it remains willing to negotiate if the discussions are facilitated by the four international partners rather than held at Villa Somalia, the seat of the Somali presidency.
The decision deals a blow to Hassan Sheikh’s attempt to bring government representatives and opposition leaders together for national consultations on the country’s major political disputes, including constitutional amendments and preparations for the next elections.
The president invited several political organizations, among them the Somali Future Council, the Nabad iyo Nolol party, the National Unity Forum and the Civil Society Coalition, to attend consultations scheduled from November 14 to 18.
The proposed forum comes as the federal government and opposition figures remain divided over constitutional revisions, the electoral system and the mandates of federal institutions.
The Somali Future Council includes former presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, former prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire, and the leaders of Puntland State and Jubaland. It has repeatedly urged the rival political sides to pursue a negotiated settlement.
The alliance has rejected the government’s method of revising the constitution and its proposed move toward a direct electoral system, insisting that major political decisions require broad-based consensus.
Two other opposition groups are also expected to hold separate consultations on Friday evening before deciding whether to join the talks proposed for Saturday.
One of the groups is led by former prime minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke. The other brings together political figures aligned with former President Farmaajo.
Their positions could shape the extent of opposition participation and determine whether the consultations proceed with representatives from outside the government.
Opposition figures have regarded the international quartet as a possible channel for mediation as pressure grows for outside involvement to help narrow the divide between Somalia’s rival political camps.
The latest impasse follows earlier rounds of government-opposition discussions that failed to yield a substantive agreement, prolonging uncertainty over the country’s political transition.
The presidency has said preparations for the national consultations are continuing and that it remains in contact with invited groups. It has also maintained that the forum will open in Mogadishu, despite the delay from its original schedule.
It is not yet clear whether the government will agree to the opposition’s demand for international facilitation or whether the two sides can establish a shared framework for restarting negotiations.
AXADLETM
