Talks between Somalia’s federal government and opposition leaders in the capital, Mogadishu, have ended without agreement, highlighting growing tensions over the country’s electoral process and constitutional future.
The meetings, held over three days inside the heavily fortified Halane compound, brought together President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and members of the Somali Future Council, an opposition coalition led by former president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Puntland leader Said Abdullahi Deni.
Officials familiar with the discussions said the final session was brief and concluded without any formal agreement or joint statement from the parties.
At the centre of the dispute is the government’s plan to introduce a one-person, one-vote electoral system, replacing Somalia’s long-standing indirect voting model based on clan representation.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has maintained that the proposed system should proceed as outlined in the revised constitution, which also includes provisions for extending the current administration’s mandate by one year.
In a statement released on Friday, Somalia’s Ministry of Information said the federal government remained committed to implementing the direct election framework.
“The Federal Government is committed to implementing the One-Person, One-Vote election project,” the ministry said.
Opposition leaders, however, rejected the proposal, arguing that any electoral process must be based on broader political consensus.
The opposition also claimed that President Hassan Sheikh’s mandate had expired on Friday, and warned against what they described as “one-sided elections”.
They instead proposed alternative electoral arrangements, though government representatives reportedly dismissed those proposals during the talks.
The collapse of the negotiations raises concerns over political stability in Somalia, where disagreements over elections have previously triggered constitutional crises and delayed voting processes.
No date has been announced for further negotiations between the two sides.
