MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s opposition leaders have convened a high-profile three-day conference in Mogadishu on Wednesday, drawing together former presidents, prime ministers, and influential political figures in a direct challenge to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s contested electoral agenda.
The summit, held at a luxury hotel near Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport, underscores growing defiance of government restrictions on political gatherings. The event is seen as a strategic move to consolidate opposition forces amid escalating tensions over the country’s future governance framework.
Among the attendees are former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, former Prime Ministers Hassan Ali Khaire, Mohamed Hussein Roble, Abdi Farah Shirdon, and Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, along with former Parliament Speaker Mohamed Mursal and prominent opposition leader Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame.
Opposition leaders say the conference aims to build consensus around a national electoral process and constitutional framework that commands broad legitimacy, rejecting what they describe as President Mohamud’s unilateral efforts to push through a revised draft constitution and oversee a non-inclusive electoral plan.
“The Somali people need a pathway to elections that reflects consensus, not coercion,” said one opposition figure. “We will not accept an imposed process that excludes major stakeholders.”
The political deadlock has deepened in recent weeks, with opposition momentum gaining traction as former senior officials and military figures increasingly align themselves with anti-government forces.
Analysts warn that if the stalemate over the electoral roadmap persists until President Mohamud’s term expires in 2026, Somalia risks renewed conflict between rival security factions, a scenario that could mirror the 2021 clashes which left the capital on edge.
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