MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s outgoing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sunday responded to an appeal by former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo for a final round of talks aimed at resolving the country’s escalating political deadlock over delayed elections and the extension of the president’s mandate, which expired on May 15.
Speaking at a joint press conference alongside former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed earlier on Sunday, Farmajo urged President Hassan Sheikh to give dialogue one last chance and proposed a meeting at his residence involving the three leaders to discuss a path forward during the country’s current transition period.
President Hassan Sheikh later accepted the proposal for dialogue but insisted that any talks be held at Villa Somalia rather than at Farmajo’s residence, as the former president had suggested.
The exchange comes amid one of the most serious political crises Somalia has faced in recent years, with divisions widening over the electoral process and the future direction of the country’s transition.
During the joint press conference, Farmajo sharply criticized President Hassan Sheikh’s leadership, accusing him of failing in his responsibilities and of deploying state security forces against former national leaders, including Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. He argued that the security institutions now being used against political rivals were among those rebuilt through the efforts of previous administrations and said resources intended for the fight against insurgents were being redirected toward domes
Farmajo also warned that Somalia was facing an accelerating process of fragmentation, arguing that developments involving Somaliland, alongside growing tensions with the Jubaland and Puntland regional administrations, underscored the urgency of reaching a national political settlement. He said the country had reached a critical moment and called for immediate action to preserve the unity and stability of the Somali Republic.
The latest call for dialogue follows the collapse last month of negotiations between President Hassan Sheikh and opposition leaders led by former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, accompanied by Puntland president Saeed Abdullahi Deni. Those talks were held at the heavily fortified Halane compound in Mogadishu, home to numerous Western diplomatic and security missions.
The negotiations were facilitated by American and British diplomats but ended without a breakthrough, leaving major disagreements between the government and opposition unresolved.
While questions remain over why international mediation was unable to bridge the divide between the two sides, Farmajo argued that Somalia’s leaders should make every effort to resolve the crisis through direct engagement among themselves. He maintained that a Somali-led agreement would best serve the country’s interests and international standing, while acknowledging that external involvement could ultimately become necessary if domestic efforts fail to produce a solution.
The proposed meeting, if it takes place, would mark the first direct political engagement between President Hassan Sheikh and the opposition leadership since the collapse of the Halane talks and could represent a final opportunity to break the impasse that has dominated Somalia’s political landscape in recent weeks.
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