Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal government and opposition leaders may sign an agreement within days to create a Democratic Transition Task Force (DTT), as negotiations approach completion, a senior opposition figure said Thursday.
Mohamed Abdirizak Mohamud, a member of the Nabad iyo Nolol political party headed by former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, said the sides were nearing a deal.
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In a post on X, Mohamud connected the anticipated agreement to his condemnation of a drone strike on the Doolow residence of Gen. Mahad Abdirahman Shub, the former commander of the Somali Correctional Service. He said the timing of the attack had raised serious questions.
“What makes this attack even more disturbing is its timing,” Mohamud said. “It comes as we are on the verge of concluding an agreement to establish the Democratic Transition Task Force (DTT), with a signing expected within days.”
He asked whether the incident was designed to disrupt the negotiations.
“So we must ask plainly: Was this attack intended to derail the political process?” he said.
Mohamud, who previously served as foreign minister, said negotiations could not be credible if political rivals were being subjected to deadly attacks.
“If so, how can President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud be taken seriously in negotiations while political opponents are being targeted with lethal force?” he said. “We cannot resolve our political differences through missiles, drones, and force. If the DTT agreement is to have any meaning, the violence must stop, and the political process must be protected.”
He called the reported strike on Gen. Mahad’s home deeply disturbing and urged that it be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
“He was a Somali citizen living in a residential area and openly expressing his political views,” Mohamud said. “Five civilians were reportedly injured.”
Somalia’s federal government has denied any role in the Doolow incident.
In a statement Friday, the Ministry of Information said initial information provided by security agencies suggested that the blasts could have resulted from explosives being prepared inside the residence.
The federal government said it would form a fact-finding committee to examine the incident, determine its motives and identify those responsible.
Opposition figures and Jubaland officials have condemned the reported attack and alleged that the federal government and Türkiye were involved. The federal government has dismissed those allegations.
