AU, UN warn of deepening Somalia crisis after election talks collapse

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The African Union and the United Nations on Saturday expressed deep concern after high-stakes election negotiations between Somalia’s federal government and opposition leaders collapsed in Mogadishu, plunging the Horn of Africa nation into a widening constitutional crisis after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud insisted his mandate continues until 2027 despite opposition claims that his term expired Friday.

The failure of the three-day negotiations , mediated by diplomats from the United States and the United Kingdom, marked the most serious political breakdown Somalia has faced in years and intensified fears that the country could slide into prolonged instability amid disputes over elections, constitutional legitimacy and foreign involvement.

The talks, held from May 13 to May 15 inside the heavily fortified Halane compound in Mogadishu, were aimed at resolving growing tensions between the federal government and the opposition Somali Future Council over how Somalia should organize elections and whether controversial constitutional amendments approved by parliament legally extended the president’s mandate from four years to five.

Instead, negotiations ended Friday night without agreement.