Farmaajo warns Somalia is sliding towards confrontation, accuses Hassan Sheikh of abandoning dialogue

MOGADISHU (WDN) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo has issued a stark warning over the country’s escalating political crisis, accusing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of undermining negotiations, pursuing a disputed electoral process and risking a dangerous confrontation over the nation’s political future.

In a strongly worded statement, Farmaajo said the president’s recent remarks revealed what he described as an ambition to cling to power and inflame civil conflict. His accusations reflect the deepening divide between the Federal Government and opposition leaders over elections and proposed constitutional changes.

Farmaajo also accused Hassan Sheikh of abandoning internationally facilitated negotiations intended to resolve the dispute over the electoral process. The talks had sought to bring the government and opposition together around an agreed framework for the next federal elections.

He argued that the president’s withdrawal from the negotiations demonstrated an unwillingness to pursue genuine consultation or an inclusive political settlement.

“For a president whose term has expired to withdraw from the negotiations facilitated by the international community, and to abandon the understanding that no federal election should be held without agreement, demonstrates that he is not prepared for consultation or an inclusive process,” Farmaajo said. He added that, in his view, the objective was to prolong the president’s tenure and implement an electoral process whose outcome he could control.

Appeal to international partners

Farmaajo directed a pointed appeal to international partners supporting Somalia, urging them not to be persuaded by further calls for dialogue from Hassan Sheikh.

He argued that declarations in favour of negotiations would mean little without a genuine commitment to reaching an inclusive and transparent electoral agreement.

“We call on Somalia’s international partners, who have been working to resolve the electoral dispute, not to be misled again by calls for agreement and dialogue from a president whose term has expired, because there is no genuine goodwill or willingness on his part to deliver a transparent and inclusive election,” Farmaajo said.

The former president’s remarks underline the opposition’s growing distrust of the administration and its handling of the political transition. At the heart of the dispute is whether the next elections will proceed under arrangements agreed by the principal political stakeholders or through a timetable announced by the Federal Government despite continuing objections.

Election timetable deepens the divide

The statement follows the announcement by the National Independent Electoral Commission of a timetable for elections to both houses of the Federal Parliament and the presidency. Opposition politicians have firmly rejected the proposed schedule, intensifying an already bitter political confrontation.

The dispute extends beyond election dates. It concerns the rules governing the transition, constitutional changes and the extent to which federal member states and opposition groups will participate in decisions affecting the country’s political future.

Somalia’s recent history offers painful reminders of the consequences when political disputes overwhelm dialogue and institutions. Although Farmaajo’s allegations remain his political assessment, the continuing breakdown in trust between the government and its opponents raises legitimate concerns about the prospects for a peaceful and broadly accepted transition.

The president and his administration face mounting pressure to demonstrate that the electoral process can command confidence beyond their own political camp. Opposition leaders, meanwhile, face the challenge of turning their objections into a viable negotiating position that can prevent further escalation.

The central question is whether Somalia’s leaders can return to meaningful negotiations before the electoral dispute hardens into a deeper national crisis. Without an agreement accepted by the principal stakeholders, the election timetable risks becoming another source of division rather than a pathway towards political stability.

Farmaajo’s statement represents the opposition’s perspective on the crisis. The president’s response and the positions of other political stakeholders remain essential to understanding whether a negotiated settlement is still possible.

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