Somali opposition rejects term extension plan, warns of constitutional crisis

Sunday May 3, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s opposition leaders say the country is drifting into dangerous political territory, warning that an approaching electoral transition could trigger a constitutional showdown.

At a press conference in Mogadishu on Saturday, the politicians said they had spent recent days consulting widely with traditional elders, scholars, women, young people, media figures, and civil society activists about the country’s political climate and the road to elections.

“We agreed to safeguard the statehood and reject anything that could lead to crisis, conflict, or destruction,” the group said in a joint statement. “We also consulted with members of the international community, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Turkey, and the United Nations.”

The opposition said it firmly rejects any attempt to extend power beyond constitutional limits and condemned what it described as unilateral elections or polls held without broad agreement.

“The constitutional term of the President of Somalia ends on May 15, 2026. After that date, we will recognize him as an ordinary citizen,” the statement said. “In cooperation with the Somali people, legitimate regional states, and opposition forces, we will pursue peaceful resistance, public mobilization, and national dialogue to prevent a constitutional vacuum and establish a legitimate government that reflects the will of the people.”

The group also urged the immediate holding of regional elections in line with the Transitional Federal Constitution.

In addition, opposition leaders accused the government of forced displacements, house demolitions, and what they called unlawful arrests of young people. They demanded the release of detainees including Sadia Moalim Ali (Saadiyo Bajaaj), Najiib Ali Osoble, and Sharmarke Mohamed Ahmed.

They also insisted that the Somali National Army must remain a neutral national institution and not be used as a political instrument.

The statement was issued against a backdrop of growing tension after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud recently signed a revised federal constitution that sets five-year terms for federal institutions, replacing the four-year mandate under the 2012 provisional constitution.

The opposition has rejected the revised charter, saying it lacks consensus and maintaining that the 2012 framework remains the country’s only legitimate legal basis for governance.