Somalia is preparing this weekend for make-or-break talks on constitutional reforms as the country gears up for general elections expected to be held in May.
The government-led consultation meeting to be held from February 1, 2026, in Mogadishu will bring together opposition leaders and federal member states to chart the way forward for Somalia.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to open the conference, and an invitation has been extended to the Somali Future Council (SFC), a coalition of regional leaders and former officials, among them former presidents and prime ministers of Somalia.
The Somali Future Council, which met in Kismayo last December, had given the president a January 20 ultimatum to convene a national conference to chart a consensual roadmap for elections and constitutional reforms.
The president heeded the call and is set to get the ball rolling this Sunday when they settle down for the broad-based discussions.
Of course, the opposition leaders have been sceptical about the government’s intentions in calling for the meeting.
Under the banner of SFC, the opposition has clashed with the federal government over plans to transition the country to a one-person, one-vote electoral system. They prefer the long-tested indirect election practised since 2004.
While President Mohamud has convened the meeting and promised that he is ready to have a discussion on any issue except the unity of Somalia, his critics argue that his approach is not backed by transparency. They cite the delay in initiating the dialogue as well as his reluctance to compromise on key constitutional issues that could open the door for legitimate elections.
Somalia, which has been ruled through a provisional constitution since 2012, has failed to reach an agreement on how to amend the document and adopt it as the law to govern the nation.
Repeated efforts to finalise the provisional document have failed over the years and exposed deep divisions over governance and power-sharing between the federal government and regional states.
A similar attempt to extend political mandates under former president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo triggered a constitutional crisis in 2021 and led to armed confrontations in Mogadishu, pushing the country to the brink of war.
The SFC, while agreeing to participate in the conference it set conditions that all amendments to the 2012 Provisional Constitution should be suspended to ensure the talks are based on trust and result-oriented.
The participation of the opposition figures in the Sunday conference has been welcomed by Somalia’s donors, including the European Union ambassador in Mogadishu.
The EU said what was now needed was a conducive environment to foster productive dialogue among all political stakeholders.
To demonstrate how volatile the consultations can get, a joint session of Somalia’s parliament convened on Wednesday this week became violent and cacophonous after the speaker attempted to push some proposed constitutional amendments.
The opposition lawmakers would hear nothing regarding the proposed amendments, claiming they were geared towards extending parliament’s mandate. The session ended prematurely as the legislators squared off.
Wednesday’s chaos erupted when the parliament speaker, Adan Madobe, surprised the legislators with an agenda to amend five chapters of the provisional constitution.
The Speaker moved swiftly to distribute written copies of the proposed amendments to lawmakers at the start of the session as tension gripped the House.
According to the opposition lawmakers, the proposed amendments would allow for a two-year extension of parliament’s term, which expires in April. The presidential term expires in May.
While the House descended into chaos with government-leaning legislators and those opposed to the document going for each other’s neck, Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsameh, an opposition lawmaker, accused Madobe of attempting to rush through the amendments without following proper procedure.
Those opposed to the move tore up the amendments, bringing proceedings to a halt, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the session indefinitely.
It is hoped the Sunday meeting will be held in a more cordial environment to allow the opposition and government to agree on the way forward for Somalia, especially on the contentious issue of the electoral system to be adopted.
Meanwhile, Somalia made history on Monday when it presided over the United Nations Security Council for the first time since 1972.
The country, which is recovering from war and terror activities, wrote history when its ambassador at the United Nations headquarters in New York chaired a high-level signature event focused on the promotion of the rule of law.
The country’s president had been expected to chair the historic meeting, but the hostile weather in the US played havoc with his travel plans.
Consequently, Somalia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman Baale, was given the onus of chairing the Council session.
The Horn of Africa nation is holding the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for January 2026, marking its first time leading the Council since its 1971–1972 term.
Ambassador Osman is presiding over the Council activities during the month, with a focus on reinforcing multilateralism and respect for international law.
The Monday meeting was held under the agenda item “The promotion and strengthening of the rule of law in the maintenance of international peace and security.”
The meeting received a briefing by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and Abdulqawi Yusuf, a former judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Participants discussed the role of the Security Council and other UN organs in promoting and upholding the international rule of law. Several speakers urged the Council to fully implement its mandate under the UN Charter and take concrete action to promote compliance with international law.
