Somalia election crisis: International partners launch final bid for government-opposition talks

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s international partners have issued a final notification to the federal government and the opposition ahead of fresh talks aimed at breaking a prolonged political deadlock over upcoming elections and controversial constitutional changes, with negotiations expected to begin in early July, Caasimada Online news website reported on Tuesday.

Foreign diplomats have informed both sides that they are undertaking a last-ditch effort to bring them back to the negotiating table through talks brokered by the international community and scheduled to commence during the first weeks of July.

The planned negotiations are designed to end a long-running impasse that has fueled growing tensions between the government and opposition while raising alarm among international partners concerned about delayed elections and constitutional amendments undertaken by the government without what critics describe as political consensus among key stakeholders.

In a significant development, the foreign partners leading the mediation effort have accepted the Somali Future Council as the official body representing the opposition in the talks.

Sources said international partners also informed the federal government that it remains free to engage separately with any political figures it wishes to see included on the opposition side. However, they made clear that the internationally brokered negotiations themselves will take place solely between the government and the Somali Future Council.

The renewed diplomatic push comes at a critical moment for Somalia, where a dispute over political legitimacy, elections, and constitutional authority has intensified following the expiry of the terms of both the president and parliament. The president’s term ended in May, while parliament’s mandate expired in April, a situation that has plunged the country into a constitutional crisis and deepened disagreements over the path forward.

The opposition argues that the government’s mandate has expired and maintains that political stakeholders must first reach a consensus on both the timeline and the model for future elections before any further steps are taken.

The government, including President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, rejects that position and insists that its mandate remains valid for another year. Government officials argue that parliament extended the terms of both the executive and legislative branches by one year through constitutional amendments.

That position remains fiercely contested by critics, who argue that the extension violates the provisional constitution that Somalia has operated under since 2012 and has further aggravated the country’s political divisions.

The latest initiative follows the collapse of previous negotiations brokered by the United States and the United Kingdom at Mogadishu’s heavily fortified Halane base. Those talks, which brought the government and opposition together earlier this year, broke down in May after both sides demonstrated an unwillingness to compromise.

With international mediators now mounting what diplomats describe as a final effort to restart meaningful dialogue, the planned talks are emerging as the latest attempt to resolve one of Somalia’s most consequential political disputes, one that continues to center on elections, constitutional legitimacy, and the future direction of the country’s governance.

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