Yunis Dekow
Pan African Journalist | Media Consultant
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud hosted senior opposition figures from the Future Council for a high-level luncheon at Hotel Decale in Mogadishu yesterday, in the first direct engagement since opposition leaders arrived in the capital earlier this month.
The meeting, attended by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and several federal cabinet members, was officially billed as a courtesy call and an opportunity to “break the ice”.
However, sources familiar with the discussions confirm that the closed-door talks addressed the country’s deepening political divisions, the stalled electoral process and the contentious constitutional amendments that have widened the rift between the Federal Government and key federal member states, particularly Puntland and Jubaland.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud meets opposition leaders from the Future Council during high-level talks in Mogadishu.
The Future Council – which brings together regional presidents including Puntland’s Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubaland’s Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe, alongside former national leaders – has been sharply critical of what it describes as unilateral moves by the federal administration to amend the provisional constitution and accelerate a shift from the indirect, clan-based electoral system to one-person, one-vote universal suffrage.
Both Puntland and Jubaland argue that the proposed changes were adopted without adequate consultation and risk undermining the federal power-sharing arrangement that has been central to Somalia’s fragile recovery.
The two states have also warned that holding direct elections nationwide remains impractical given persistent Al-Shabaab threats and uneven security across the country.
The federal government, for its part, maintains that modernising the electoral framework is essential to building inclusive democratic institutions and moving beyond the limitations of the current 4.5 clan-power-sharing formula.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud meets opposition leaders from the Future Council during high-level talks in Mogadishu.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud meets opposition leaders from the Future Council during high-level talks in Mogadishu.
The talks also touched on the reconstitution of electoral commissions, timelines for the next electoral cycle and the urgent need to rebuild trust between Mogadishu and the federal member states.
Mohamud Mohamed, a policy adisor said the meeting is viewed as a tentative step toward de-escalation at a time when parallel political tracks could further fragment national cohesion.
The engagement takes place against a backdrop of growing international concern. Regional bodies and key donors have repeatedly urged Somali leaders to prioritise inclusive dialogue to safeguard security progress against Al-Shabaab and to sustain external assistance.
No joint statement was released following the luncheon, but participants on both sides described the atmosphere as constructive.
Mohamud said the meeting could open the door to a broader national consultative process involving federal and state leaders in the coming weeks.
