Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025
KISMAYO, Somalia — Somalia’s opposition leaders began arriving in Kismayo on Tuesday ahead of a four-day Somali Opposition Conference set to open Wednesday, with organizers saying the gathering will finalize the structure of a new Somali Future Council and assess the country’s political transition.
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The first delegation was led by Mohamed Aden Koofi, secretary-general of the Somali Salvation Forum. The group landed at Sayid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan Airport and was received by Jubbaland’s Minister of Interior, Mohamed Ibrahim Oogle, and other regional officials.
Oogle told reporters the conference will run from Dec. 17 to Dec. 20. He said the agenda centers on formalizing the Somali Future Council and taking stock of the ongoing political changes across Somalia, including issues tied to governance and elections.
“Today I arrived in Kismayo, where the conference to finalize the establishment of the Somali Future Council will soon open,” Koofi said. “Important issues related to the difficult situation the country is facing will be discussed.” He thanked the Jubbaland administration and Kismayo residents for hosting the meeting.
Security has been tightened across Kismayo in the lead-up to the event. Authorities expect the arrival of additional opposition figures in the coming hours, including former senior federal government officials, underscoring the political weight of the gathering.
Participants are slated to hold both open and closed-door sessions, with discussions expected to focus on the country’s political direction, governance challenges and differing views on the electoral process. Organizers and attendees have described the Kismayo conference as a historic opportunity to consolidate positions after months of consultations and internal deliberations among opposition groups.
The conference is being hosted by Jubbaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam, widely known as Ahmed Madoobe. His administration has positioned Kismayo as a venue for dialogue at a moment of heightened national debate, as opposition leaders push for a more unified platform on key national questions.
Supporters of the initiative frame the Somali Future Council as a coordinating mechanism that could bring greater coherence to the opposition’s policy priorities during an uncertain period of political transition. While details of the council’s structure are expected to be finalized during the conference, opposition figures say the aim is to channel disparate voices into a more organized forum as they engage with federal and regional stakeholders.
The meetings come as Somalia’s political class navigates sensitive questions about representation, power-sharing and election timelines. With expectations for both public briefings and private negotiations over the next four days, attendees signaled they are seeking concrete outcomes and a common front on issues they say will shape the country’s near-term governance.
Conference organizers have not announced a closing communiqué, but delegates indicated they intend to release agreed points once sessions conclude on Dec. 20.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
