KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubaland State President Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe has invited federal lawmakers from his state to a consultative meeting in Kismayo as political tensions mount over Somalia’s electoral process ahead of the 2026 vote. In a letter dated March 1, 2026, Madobe’s office called on members of both houses of the federal Parliament who represent Jubaland constituencies to convene for discussions on the national political situation and preparations for the coming elections. The outreach comes amid intensifying…

Mogadishu — Somalia’s federal government accused opposition figures on Tuesday of derailing high-stakes political talks in the capital by abandoning an agreed agenda, intensifying a standoff over elections and constitutional reforms as the United Nations urged both sides back to the table. In a statement, the government said the consultation process—launched in March 2025 to collect views from former leaders, politicians, academics and civil society—remains the vehicle to resolve what it called the country’s “fateful…

Sunday, February 22, 2026 MOGADISHU — High-level talks between Somalia’s federal government and the opposition-aligned Somali Future Council resumed Sunday at Villa Somalia, with both sides still divided over the country’s electoral direction as current mandates near expiration. The meeting is part of an ongoing consultative conference launched last week to resolve disputes over elections and constitutional reform. The stakes are rising as political actors face pressure to agree on a roadmap that averts a constitutional…

MOGADISHU — The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTAMS) on Thursday welcomed the formal launch of talks between the Federal Government of Somalia and the Somali Future Council, calling the dialogue a crucial step toward easing the country’s political impasse ahead of looming constitutional deadlines. The meeting, chaired by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at the Presidential Palace, brought together senior government officials and opposition-aligned leaders amid heightened tensions and with less…

Somalia opens high-level talks with opposition Future Council on elections and constitution MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government and the Somali Future Council formally opened high-level talks in Mogadishu on Wednesday, launching a long-anticipated push to resolve deep disputes over elections and constitutional reform amid weeks of rising political tension. The meeting marked the first structured engagement in recent weeks between Villa Somalia and the opposition alliance, following a conciliatory luncheon hosted…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s opposition-aligned Somali Future Council convened in the capital on Saturday for internal consultations ahead of anticipated talks with federal leaders on elections and constitutional reform, as a high-stakes political standoff shows little sign of easing. The meeting brought together powerful federal member state leaders, including Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubbaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madoobe. Participants focused on the dispute over the format, timing and procedures…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's federal government has scheduled April 2026 state elections, sharpening the debate over the country's election timetable and whether political institutions can move from announcements to implementation. The plan also raises questions about election administration, including how polling and legal procedures will be managed across a contested political environment. Those concerns are closely tied to constitutional reform, because mandate timing and electoral rules are now part of the same…

An immigration judge has rejected the Trump administration’s bid to deport Tufts University PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national whose high-profile arrest became a flashpoint in the crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activism, her lawyers said. In a Jan. 29 decision, Immigration Judge Roopal Patel in Boston concluded the Department of Homeland Security failed to meet its burden to prove Ozturk was removable and terminated proceedings, according to a filing her attorneys made with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of…

Somali federal, Puntland State officials share stage in Galdogob as new clan chief is inaugurated Sunday, February 8, 2026 GALDOGOB, Somalia — Senior officials from Somalia’s federal government and the Puntland State administration appeared together in public for the first time in years on Sunday during the inauguration of a traditional clan leader in Galdogob district, signaling a tentative easing of tensions while underscoring the political weight of customary authority. Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni sat…

Kismayo, Somalia — The Jubbaland regional administration on Saturday accused Somalia’s federal government of unconstitutional interference in the affairs of federal member states, warning that the moves threaten the country’s federal system and national unity as Parliament debates sweeping constitutional changes. In a statement issued by the Jubbaland presidency, the regional authority said Mogadishu lacks the mandate to unilaterally amend the Provisional Constitution or restructure the system of governance. Somalia’s…