Somali elders brief opposition leaders on stalled mediation talks
The elders are meant to reflect regions across Somalia as they try to narrow deep divisions between federal authorities and opposition figures over elections, constitutional changes and the country’s broader political transition.
Wednesday May 27, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s political standoff has entered another waiting period, but mediators say the effort to bring the federal government and opposition back to the table is still alive. On Tuesday, traditional elders involved in the process met with leaders of the Somali Future Council, saying the talks have been slowed by logistical and procedural hurdles rather than derailed.
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Garaad Jamac Garaad Ali, who is part of the mediation team, said the main setback has been the incomplete formation of some of the traditional elder committees expected to take part in the initiative.
He said the delay was not caused by the federal government but by the need to form broader committees representing different parts of the country.
“As we said before, the committee of the Somali capital city has not yet been completed, and we come from different places. If the committee focuses and completes the tasks, we will also join them,” Garaad Jamac said.
The elders are meant to reflect regions across Somalia as they try to narrow deep divisions between federal authorities and opposition figures over elections, constitutional changes and the country’s broader political transition.
Garaad Jamac said the delegation could not leave Mogadishu without first reporting back to the opposition leaders they had met, stressing that the mediation has yet to yield any concrete breakthrough.
Opposition MP Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame said the Somali Future Council is seeking a peaceful settlement through dialogue on Somalia’s future, the election issue and the wider political crisis.
He said Somalis should know who obstructing dialogue and consensus is. He thanked the elders for briefing the opposition on their efforts.
The latest mediation effort comes as political temperatures rise after recent talks between the federal government and opposition leaders collapsed without an agreement. At the center of the dispute are Somalia’s electoral model, proposed constitutional amendments and the mandate of federal institutions.
International partners have repeatedly called on Somali leaders to return to negotiations and reach an inclusive political settlement, while traditional elders have stepped in to help prevent the impasse from deepening further.
