Turjumaad ayaa la diyaarinayaa

By Abdiqani Haji Abdi

Before the end of this week, Somalia’s Federal Government and opposition leaders are expected to meet in Mogadishu for what is being described as a last-ditch political summit aimed at resolving the country’s escalating crisis over elections and the constitution — two explosive issues that now threaten to push Somalia toward full-scale political collapse.

The highly anticipated talks come at a moment of extreme national tension, with the country’s political order visibly unraveling and public confidence in the leadership rapidly evaporating.

Yet the central question dominating political circles is brutally simple: what makes this meeting any different from the many failed negotiations that came before it? The same political actors have already sat across from one another repeatedly, only to emerge more divided, more distrustful, and more entrenched in their positions. To this day, there is no visible sign that either side is prepared to compromise.