Farmaajo urges dialogue, asks elders to help resolve Somalia’s political crisis

Monday April 27, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has renewed calls for political talks in Somalia, urging the country’s traditional elders to step into the center of efforts to ease the worsening standoff.

In a statement released Saturday, Farmaajo said the elders could help narrow the rift and reduce the risk of further turmoil, joining similar appeals made by former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

“The presidents’ call highlights the important role that Somali traditional elders can play in finding a solution to the political impasse,” Farmaajo said. “I urge elders to fulfill their responsibilities and contribute to a political settlement that prevents regression and civil conflict.”

He said recent meetings of elders in Mogadishu offered a chance to move dialogue forward and tackle the difficult political disagreements at the heart of the crisis.

Farmaajo also called on political figures in both the government and the opposition to give elders a real role in the state-building process, saying their participation is necessary to reach consensus.

His comments come as tensions continue between the federal government and opposition camps over the electoral process and the terms of federal institutions’ mandates. Parliament has approved a one-year extension, pointing to constitutional changes, but opposition leaders have dismissed the decision as unconstitutional.

The dispute has deepened concerns over stability in the capital and beyond, prompting fresh appeals for broad-based dialogue to prevent further polarization.