MOGADISHU, May 18, 2026 – Somalia’s long-running electoral dispute took on fresh urgency on Monday as international partners opened virtual crisis talks with the opposition alliance and influential regional leaders, diplomatic sources said, in a bid to pull the country back from a deepening political impasse. The online session brought foreign diplomats face to face with the Future Council, a major coalition of opposition-aligned political figures, as well as Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubbaland…

Thursday May 14, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal government and opposition leaders left the table Wednesday without a deal after hours of hard-fought talks over the country’s contested electoral roadmap, according to sources familiar with the meeting. The negotiations took place within the tightly secured compound of Aden Abdulle Osman International Airport in Mogadishu, at a venue operated by the National Intelligence and Security Agency. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama…

Somalia’s President, Opposition Leaders Head for Crucial Talks in Mogadishu’s Halane Compound MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s political deadlock is set to move behind the walls of Mogadishu’s fortified Halane compound, where President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and opposition leaders are expected to meet in high-level talks aimed at easing a widening dispute over delayed elections and constitutional revisions. The discussions, anticipated in the coming days, will bring together officials from the federal government and members of…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s opposition has raised the political temperature in the capital, with the Somali Future Council announcing a mass protest in Mogadishu on May 16 and accusing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his government of intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and broader political repression. In a statement released in Mogadishu, the coalition said authorities were trying to stop a peaceful rally planned by forum members a day earlier in the city. “The Somali Salvation Forum strongly condemns the actions taken…

Monday May 11, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s dominant opposition alliance said Monday it will return to the streets of Mogadishu on May 16, pressing ahead with an anti-government protest after accusing federal authorities of blocking an earlier rally and using security forces to stifle dissent. The Somali Salvation Forum said it would carry on what it described as a “peaceful struggle” over forced displacement, land seizures and what it called the misuse of power by the federal government. In a statement, the forum said…

President Félix Tshisekedi has ignited a political backlash in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after saying he would consider a third term if citizens called for it, a statement that opposition leaders swiftly denounced. The constitution restricts presidents to two terms, and Tshisekedi said any modification would be decided by referendum. His critics counter that Article 220 expressly forbids changing presidential term limits, accusing him of laying the groundwork to prolong his time in office. The dispute…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sunday cast doubt on the opposition’s decision to organize a planned protest in Mogadishu on the same day direct local elections were underway in SouthWest state and talks were scheduled in the capital. Speaking on the country’s political and security climate, Hassan Sheikh congratulated South West State residents for what he described as their calm participation in Sunday morning’s “one person, one vote” polls across several districts. He described the vote as…

Sunday May 10, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Somalia’s Southwest State opened a new chapter in its political history on Sunday as voters went to the polls for direct elections to choose members of the regional House of Representatives and district councils, a significant break from the country’s entrenched indirect voting system. The ballot was being conducted in 13 districts across Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions. The National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission said 376,212 voters had registered to take part,…

Sunday May 10, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal government on Sunday stood firm behind its decision to confine planned opposition rallies in Mogadishu to a single location, arguing that scattered protests across the capital could threaten civilians, choke essential services and ignite street-level confrontations. In a statement, the Ministry of Information said the administration recognized citizens’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly, expression and political participation. It added, however, that those…

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somalia’s opposition leaders said they will push ahead with a planned protest in the capital on Sunday, May 10, despite government pressure, as they accuse federal authorities of forced evictions and the demolition of civilian homes. In a meeting in Mogadishu, opposition politicians restated their support for the demonstration, saying it is meant to challenge what they describe as ongoing displacement campaigns in parts of the city. Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, one of the opposition’s prominent…