Western Envoys Urge Somalia’s President to Pursue Inclusive Election Deal
They also warned that any violence tied to political disagreements could draw international measures against those viewed as responsible. At the same time, they signaled that Somalia’s state-building drive cannot depend forever on outside financial backing.
MOGADISHU, Somalia, June 3 — Western diplomats have pressed Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud over the direction of the country’s political transition, urging his government to enter serious talks and settle on an election formula acceptable to all key players, diplomatic sources told Axadle on Wednesday.
People familiar with the meeting said representatives from several Western countries sat down with the president on Tuesday and delivered messages from their capitals calling for a more inclusive process as Somalia moves through a disputed transition period.
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The envoys, according to the sources, made clear that only genuine negotiations could produce a broadly accepted electoral framework and help head off a new wave of political strain.
They also warned that any violence tied to political disagreements could draw international measures against those viewed as responsible. At the same time, they signaled that Somalia’s state-building drive cannot depend forever on outside financial backing.
The remarks land against a backdrop of deepening international concern about Somalia’s political future and the unresolved arguments over how elections should be organized.
Just a day earlier, Western partners issued a joint statement saying the current governing mandate had in effect expired and that Somalia now needed a clear political “roadmap” to steer the country into its next phase. They called on Somali leaders to agree on a transition mechanism after what they described as the end of the government’s legal term.
The latest diplomatic push reflects growing unease among international partners about the situation in Mogadishu, where political uncertainty has sharpened in recent weeks.
Neither the Somali presidency nor the Western missions involved had publicly responded to the reported talks.
Somalia has long been caught in recurring disputes over elections and constitutional arrangements, with international partners repeatedly urging consensus-based solutions to avert instability and protect hard-won gains in state-building and security.
AXADLETM
