The Future Council Calls for International Mediation and Guarantee for the Implementation of the Political Agreement

The Future Council of Somalia, an opposition coalition that includes the current presidents of Jubaland and Puntland, has requested UN Secretary-General António Guterres to facilitate inclusive political talks and support international guarantees for any agreements resulting from the discussions.

This request was mentioned in a letter dated September 11, signed by the Secretary-General of the Future Council of Somalia, Abdullahi Abubakar Haji, which was sent to the United Nations ahead of the Security Council's review of the situation in Somalia scheduled for October. Haji confirmed the authenticity of the letter to Dawan Media.

The main request of the Council is for the United Nations to facilitate inclusive dialogue between Somali parties, focusing on the transition process and the electoral framework, with the Federal Government of Somalia and the Future Council participating equally.

The Council also requested the United Nations and the Security Council to support an international mediator and guarantor, with a clear mechanism to monitor the implementation of any agreements and actions to be taken against the non-compliant party. The letter stated that three internationally facilitated dialogue efforts in the past nine months have failed.

If accepted, these proposals would provide the Federal Government of Somalia and the Future Council of Somalia with an equal role in the negotiation process, while also establishing an international role to oversee the implementation of any agreements reached. The letter did not clearly specify the type of actions to be taken if the agreement is not implemented, who would take those actions, or the authority that the guarantor would have.

Other five points mentioned in the letter include that the United Nations should intervene and order an independent investigation into the incident that occurred on September 3 in Doolow, Gedo region; that the Security Council should receive independent reports on the situation in the country; that there should be an international neutral presence accompanying the electoral process in Somalia; and that humanitarian activities should be protected from political conflict.

The Doolow Incident

Regarding the Doolow incident, the letter stated that an attack using a drone destroyed the house of General Mahad Abdirahman Aadan, a senior officer whom the Future Council claimed was removed from his position due to his political stance.

Dawan Media previously reported that the Federal Government of Somalia denied responsibility for the incident, stating that preliminary information indicated that explosives were being prepared inside the house. The government also stated that a fact-finding committee would be established, while General Mahad's family reported that he survived the incident.

So far, there is no independent evidence confirming the exact cause of the explosion or who was behind it.

The Future Council of Somalia also referenced other incidents in its letter, including what it described as federal forces removing the president of South West State in March; an internal conflict that erupted in that region afterward; clashes in August between federal forces and those allied with Puntland in Galkacyo; and the use of heavy weapons and drones during operations that took place in Mogadishu in June.

These allegations have not been independently verified and reflect the perspective and reporting of the Future Council of Somalia on those events.

Political Dialogues

The letter also detailed three dialogue efforts that the Future Council stated have failed.

The first effort reportedly began after a national conference held in Kismayo, before the end of the presidential term in May. The second effort involved discussions held by technical committees facilitated by members of the UN Security Council. The third process was a dialogue supported by the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Turkey after the presidential term ended.

The Future Council of Somalia accused the Federal Government of being responsible for the failure of all those dialogue efforts.

The view that the talks between the government and the opposition have stalled was also mentioned on September 18 by former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who leads the Himilo Qaran party. He stated that the talks between the government and the opposition regarding the 2026 elections have...