Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to convene an inclusive national dialogue and negotiate an agreement on elections, warning that unresolved disputes over the constitution, federalism and political mandates could push the country deeper into instability.
In an open letter to Mohamud on Thursday, Farmaajo described Somalia as being at a critical juncture, facing security threats, political polarization, economic strain and intensifying geopolitical competition. He said the president carried the main responsibility for finding a political settlement.
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Farmaajo, who handed power to Mohamud after the 2022 presidential election and now heads the Nabad iyo Nolol party, said Somalia’s political conflicts should be settled through negotiations and compromise, rather than unilateral action.
“To avoid foreign interference and decisions not originating from Somalis themselves, you must spearhead a national dialogue grounded in genuine compromise,” Farmaajo wrote.
He identified three urgent priorities: launching an inclusive national dialogue, agreeing on the electoral process and holding elections within what he called a short timeframe.
His intervention comes amid an ongoing dispute over the length of Mohamud’s mandate and constitutional amendments endorsed by Somalia’s federal institutions.
Farmaajo and other opposition leaders argue that Mohamud’s four-year term ended in May 2026. Mohamud disputes that position, saying constitutional amendments that increased presidential and parliamentary terms to five years extend his mandate until May 15, 2027. Government documents characterize the changes as establishing five-year terms and introducing direct universal suffrage.
Farmaajo said Somalia’s post-conflict political system had rested on four central principles: agreement on a constitution, completion of the federal system, timely and inclusive elections, and the resolution of political disputes through dialogue and compromise.
He accused Mohamud’s government of departing from those principles, pointing to disagreements over the constitution, strained relations with federal member states, stalled progress in talks with North Western State of Somalia and divisions over the electoral system.
The federal government maintains that its constitutional reform program is designed to complete Somalia’s shift away from a provisional political framework, create a permanent constitutional order and pave the way for direct elections.
Farmaajo also referred to recent correspondence sent to the United Nations by Puntland State and other political actors, saying it reflected widening divisions within Somalia.
Earlier this month, Puntland State wrote to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council, calling for an inclusive national dialogue and warning that unresolved disputes over political mandates and relations between the federal government and member states could fuel further instability.
Farmaajo said constitutional and electoral disagreements were unfolding alongside continuing security challenges, including the threat from al-Shabab and uncertainty over international support for Somalia’s security sector.
He cautioned that failing to reach a political compromise could undermine the country’s state-building efforts and intensify tensions between Mogadishu and the federal member states.
“Reaching a political agreement on electoral matters is fundamental to the continuity of a legitimate government and the holding of a mutually agreed-upon election,” Farmaajo wrote.
He further urged the government to organize an inclusive election quickly, saying the unresolved question of institutional mandates was contributing to political uncertainty.
The letter was issued as Mohamud attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Farmaajo said the gathering highlighted the need for Somalia to demonstrate progress in resolving its internal political disputes to international partners.
Somalia has endured months of political tension over constitutional amendments and the country’s electoral model. The government says the reforms establish the legal basis for direct elections and a five-year presidential term, while Puntland State, Jubaland and several opposition figures have rejected aspects of the process and demanded a negotiated political settlement.
Farmaajo called on Mohamud to rely on dialogue and compromise to keep the disputes from escalating.
He said reaching an agreement was essential to safeguarding Somalia’s unity and protecting gains achieved since the restoration of federal institutions.
