Nabad iyo Nolol political party rejects calls for Somalia’s return to transitional rule

Friday July 31, 2026

Mogadishu (HOL) – Somalia’s Peace and Life (Nabad iyo Nolol) political party has rejected calls to return the country to a transitional system of government, arguing that such a move would undermine political progress and fail to provide a lasting solution to the country’s constitutional crisis.

Former Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdirisaq, a senior member of the party led by former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, said the proposal for a new transitional administration lacks a long-term vision and risks reversing gains made since Somalia emerged from decades of transitional governance.

“Returning to the transitional system would be a political setback, not a lasting solution to the challenges,” Abdirisaq said in an interview.

His comments were in response to a recent letter issued by the Somali Future Council, an opposition coalition, which called for the establishment of an inclusive Transitional Council to oversee Somalia’s constitutional and electoral process until new national institutions are peacefully renewed.

Abdirisaq said Nabad iyo Nolol has never supported returning Somalia to a transitional arrangement, insisting that political disagreements should instead be resolved through dialogue and consensus.

“The appropriate solution is to continue the ongoing dialogue between Somali political stakeholders and reach an agreement based on compromise and consultation rather than creating a new transitional process,” he said.

He also criticized President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, saying it was unfortunate that Somalia, which formally emerged from the transitional era during Hassan Sheikh’s first presidency, is once again debating a return to that system under his current administration.

The debate follows an open letter issued by the Somali Future Council on July 27, urging Somalia’s international partners to support a political settlement to restore national legitimacy and prevent further political instability.

According to the council, Somalia’s immediate priority should be reaching a political agreement that rebuilds national consensus and safeguards the neutrality of state institutions, including the Somali National Army.

The letter was addressed to the heads of state, defense ministers and chiefs of defense forces of countries contributing troops and police to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), including Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Burundi and Egypt.

The Somali Future Council brings together several prominent opposition figures, including a former president, former prime ministers, the presidents of Puntland and Jubaland, former cabinet ministers and other political leaders.

The council argued that Somalia has entered a dangerous constitutional phase, maintaining that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s constitutional mandate expired on May 15, 2026, and Parliament’s term ended on April 14, 2026. It said there is still no agreed political framework to guide the country through the transition.

The exchange reflects deepening divisions over how Somalia should resolve its political impasse. While the Somali Future Council argues that a transitional arrangement is necessary to restore legitimacy and national consensus, Nabad iyo Nolol maintains that the country’s leaders should work within the existing political framework to reach an inclusive agreement through dialogue.