NAIROBI, Kenya — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni met in Nairobi with diplomats from key international partners to discuss Somalia’s political landscape, his office said, as foreign envoys prepare parallel contacts with regional leaders and opposition figures ahead of proposed national talks.
Deni, accompanied by members of his cabinet, held talks with representatives from the United Nations, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, according to officials. The meeting comes amid heightened behind-the-scenes diplomacy as Somalia’s political stakeholders weigh the format, scope and authority of a new round of dialogue.
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Separately, international representatives based in Nairobi are expected to hold meetings with leaders of Jubbaland as well as opposition politicians aligned under the Somali Future Council. Those contacts are unfolding as the federal government in Mogadishu has announced plans to convene dialogue, signaling another attempt to bridge enduring rifts among federal and regional actors.
Some opposition politicians have voiced skepticism over the government’s call, arguing it lacks the mandate to deliver a comprehensive process that addresses core political differences. They contend only the country’s president can convene a truly national dialogue capable of producing binding outcomes. No immediate details were provided on timing, venue or agenda for the prospective talks.
Puntland State, a semi-autonomous region in northeastern Somalia, remains a central player in any national political process. Deni’s Nairobi consultations indicate that regional leaders are seeking clarity from foreign partners on how the proposed dialogue will be structured, who will be at the table, and what guardrails, if any, will be set to ensure commitments are honored.
While officials did not disclose the substance of the discussions, the presence of envoys from the UN, U.S., UK and EU underscores the international community’s continued role in facilitating Somali political engagement. Western partners and multilateral institutions have repeatedly urged Somali leaders to resolve disputes through consensus and to protect fragile governance gains from being reversed by protracted political stand-offs.
The anticipated meetings with Jubbaland leadership and the Somali Future Council suggest foreign diplomats are canvassing a broad spectrum of views before any formal process begins. Such shuttle diplomacy is common in Somalia’s political calendar, where alliance-building among federal and regional authorities—and between ruling figures and opposition movements—often determines whether talks move from announcement to implementation.
Key questions looming over the process include who will set the agenda, how representation will be balanced among federal institutions, federal member states and opposition groupings, and what mechanisms will translate any agreement into policy or law. For stakeholders wary of previous dialogues that yielded limited follow-through, assurances on enforcement and timelines will be pivotal.
For now, Deni’s Nairobi meetings mark a visible step in a new round of consultations. Whether those engagements can be converted into a credible forum with clear authority—and broad buy-in—will determine if Somalia’s political dialogue can ease tensions rather than add to them.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
