The International Community Cannot Pretend to Be a Neutral Mediator While Somalia’s Federal Order Is Being Rewritten

By Abdullahi A. Nor

For more than four months, the International Community (IC) has presided over what it describes as a mediation process between former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Somalia’s opposition. Since the talks began in March 2026, diplomats have issued optimistic communiqués, held countless meetings, and repeatedly assured Somalis that dialogue remains the only path out of the country’s constitutional crisis.

The results speak for themselves. There has been no political breakthrough. There is no agreement on the constitutional dispute. There is no mutually accepted electoral roadmap. There are no confidence-building measures. There is no mechanism preventing unilateral political actions while negotiations continue.

Instead, Somalia’s constitutional crisis has deepened, while the mediation process has become increasingly detached from the political realities unfolding across the country. Reports circulating in Mogadishu indicate that another internationally backed round of political talks is scheduled for July 6, 2026. However, few Somalis expect anything to come of it.