Letter from Mogadishu: Scramble for the traditional elder's attention

 

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has gone on a charm offensive to woo Somalia’s clan elders to his corner. [AFP]

With just two weeks before his four-year mandate comes to an end, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has gone on a charm offensive to woo Somalia’s clan elders to his corner.

Mohamud, a leading proponent of the country reverting to universal suffrage, is wooing the elders to buy into his position and abandon the indirect clan-based electoral system employed by the country since 2004.

This week, the president played host to traditional leaders from across the country at Villa Somalia. He used the opportunity to push for the one-person, one-vote.

Mohamud seemed to be taking a cue from members of the civil society who had called on clan elders in the country to take up the opportunity to reconcile politicians who fell out due to the parallel systems of elections they were pushing.

Further, members of civil society demanded that the elders mediate between the government and opposition leaders to reach a consensus on the electoral process after the mandate of parliament lapsed last month, and one for the president is due on May 15, 2026.

Opposition leaders under the banner of Somalia Future Council (SFC) and two (Jubbaland and Puntland) Federal Member States are opposed to the universal suffrage, arguing that the country cannot implement it due to the security situation.

The opposition leaders also accuse the president of illegally extending his stay in office for a year under the pretext of amending the country’s provisional constitution, which has been in place since 2012.

The Somali president used the dinner with the traditional elders held at his residence to reaffirm his government’s commitment to universal suffrage.

He stressed that restoring citizens’ constitutional right to directly elect their leaders is a non-negotiable goal after 57 years without a full one-person, one-vote system.

Mohamud said he remains firmly committed to ensuring that the Somali people regain their constitutional right to elect leaders of their choice, noting that incomplete electoral processes in the past have left Somalia with many challenges, foremost among them insecurity.

Mohamud also briefed the traditional elders on the recent government achievements in security, democratic reforms, institutional development, and decentralisation.

The president used the opportunity to commend the elders for their role in peacebuilding, reconciliation and safeguarding national unity.

The meeting with the traditional elders came hot on the heels of the resignation of yet another senior advisor to the president in the person of Abdullahi Mohamed Nur, who was a senior presidential advisor on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism.

 While resigning at the beginning of this week, Abdullahi cited political disagreements with the president amid rising tensions over Somalia’s political transition.

In a statement posted Sunday, Abdullahi said his decision followed differences with the president over the country’s political direction and handling of the ongoing transition.

He warned that unresolved political disputes risk undermining stability and called for an urgent, inclusive solution to bring together key stakeholders.

Abdullahi noted that the mandates of federal government institutions are set to expire on May 15, 2026, stressing the need for a consensus-based political agreement to avoid a potential crisis.

Abdullahi’s resignation is a body blow to Mohamud, who suffered a major setback last month when the secretary-general of his ruling Justice and Solidarity Party, Abdirahman Odawaa, quit his position, followed by the resignation of the country’s intelligence chief, Abdullahi Mohamed Ali Sanbaloolshe.

The developments highlight growing divisions within Somalia’s political landscape at a critical moment for the country’s electoral and constitutional process

Elders at the meeting welcomed the engagement, citing progress in security and governance while expressing support for efforts to expand public participation in elections.

Somalia has been working to transition to universal suffrage after decades of clan-based indirect voting, a shift seen as key to strengthening legitimacy and long-term stability.

And barely a month since the ouster of the South West State president Abdiaziz Luftagareen, attempting to cut ties with the Federal Government in Mogadishu, the president of Puntland, Said Abdullahi Deni, has embarked on a similar process.

Deni warned Villa Somalia that Puntland would cease to recognise the federal government if no political agreement is reached by May 15, 2026, on the transition arrangement and electoral system to be adopted.

Deni also rejected the federal parliament’s joint sittings that amended the country’s provisional constitution, thus extending presidential and parliamentary terms from four to five years, insisting President Mohamud’s mandate expires on May 15.

The Puntland leader declared that after that date, the federal government will no longer be considered in existence unless a consensus-based solution is reached between the government, opposition leaders and Federal Member States.

Deni’s administration argues that the federal government has lost legitimacy by unilaterally changing the term limits and that a new, inclusive political roadmap must be negotiated before May 15.

Meanwhile, Somalia has for the last two days played host to high-level talks on regional security at a meeting for intelligence chiefs from East African Community (EAC) member states.

The meeting comes as countries in the region face persistent attacks by Al-Shabaab, which has carried out cross-border operations in Kenya and Uganda in recent years.

The meeting discussed broader regional challenges, including organised crime networks and instability linked to climate pressures and displacement.

Somalia has intensified military operations against Al-Shabaab with support from international partners, while regional governments have increased collaboration to prevent the spread of militant activity.

This is the first time Somalia is hosting such a meeting following its admission as the ninth member of the regional bloc. The meeting aims to deliver practical steps to improve coordination and strengthen joint responses to security threats across East Africa.