US, UK seek final Somalia talks to break election deadlock

US, UK seek final Somalia talks to break election deadlock

MOGADISHU – The United States and Britain are planning a renewed diplomatic effort to bring together term-ended Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and opposition leaders for what sources describe as a final push to reach a comprehensive agreement on the country’s electoral process, according to officials familiar with the discussions.

The proposed meeting would include the leaders of the Puntland and Jubaland regional administrations, senior figures from the Somali Future Forum opposition coalition based in Mogadishu, and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose 4-year mandate expired last May, the sources said.

The initiative aims to end months of political deadlock over elections and constitutional issues, although the sources cautioned that expectations for a breakthrough remain low.

Diplomatic sources said Western governments have intensified efforts to preserve Somalia’s state-building process, into which international partners have invested billions of dollars over the past two decades.

They warned that continued political divisions risk undermining progress on governance reforms, security institutions and international support for Somalia.

According to the sources, one Western government has argued that if Somali leaders fail to reach a political settlement, broader changes to the country’s state-building framework could be considered.

Among the options under discussion, the sources said, is convening Somali political leaders in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, if negotiations inside Somalia fail to produce an agreement.

The discussions have also included reviewing how the international community engages with Somalia’s federal government and, according to the sources, considering a return to a transitional-style political framework.

The sources said proponents of that option argue that the federal government’s constitutional mandate has expired, that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud extended his tenure without political consensus, and that constitutional amendments were adopted without broad agreement among Somali stakeholders.

The Somali government has not publicly commented on the reported proposals or the claims regarding its constitutional mandate.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders have sent an open letter to African countries contributing troops to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), urging them to prioritize a comprehensive political agreement before advancing Somalia’s security transition.

The opposition said an inclusive political settlement was necessary to pave the way for nationally agreed elections and resolve what it described as the country’s constitutional vacuum and political uncertainty.

GAROWE ONLINE