Mogadishu, Somalia – Somali opposition leaders pledged Friday to push ahead with national dialogue despite accusing government security forces of physically blocking two former heads of state from a crucial meeting, averting immediate fears of political crisis and showing the stakes of the ongoing power struggle.
The “Somali Future Council” said it remained committed to negotiations with the federal government, describing resolution of the country’s explosive electoral roadmap as a “national interest” that superseded political grievances.
The decision to remain at the negotiating table came despite a furious row earlier in the evening.
The Council said security forces stopped former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and former Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble from entering the Aden Adde International Airport complex in Mogadishu.
The incident threatened to derail sensitive talks aimed at determining the framework for the 2026 elections, raising the specter of the violence that marred the previous transition of power.
Airport ‘blockade’
In a statement released late Thursday, the Council condemned the airport incident as a “targeted obstruction” but insisted it would not be baited into abandoning the political process.
“The Council is determined to prevent a constitutional vacuum and political chaos,” the group said, referring to the looming expiration of the government’s mandate in May 2026.
“Finding a solution to the electoral dispute is a national duty,” the statement added. However, it warned President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud against pursuing “political interests that further alienate the Somali people.”
The opposition leaders were en route to a hotel within the airport’s heavily secured “Green Zone” to finalize their common position before meeting government representatives.
The zone hosts foreign embassies and United Nations offices and remains the only venue in the capital considered safe enough for such high-level gatherings.
The Ministry of Internal Security dismissed allegations of a politically motivated blockade, attributing the standoff to a breach of protocol.
In a rebuttal issued shortly after the incident, the ministry said the opposition delegation tried to enter the airport perimeter with a large detail of armed bodyguards after the 5:00 pm curfew for such convoys, and via the wrong checkpoint.
“The protocol dictates that after 5:00 pm, entry is restricted to the Marina Gate, and no armed forces are permitted inside,” the ministry said. “No former officials were denied entry, but there were those who refused to comply with security procedures.”
Authorities warned that bypassing these checks poses a “risk to the safety and security” of the airport, a critical lifeline for the capital, which remains a prime target for Al-Shabaab insurgents.
Late-night diplomacy
Fearing a collapse of the talks, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre launched an urgent diplomatic intervention late Thursday.
Barre visited the private residences of both Roble and Sheikh Sharif. There, he also met former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, another heavyweight in the Future Council alliance.
“The government’s door is always open,” Barre told the leaders, according to a statement from his office. He urged all parties to “sit down and find solutions.”
He said this would ensure the country could focus on the fight against Al-Shabaab insurgents—referred to by the government as “Kharijites”—and ward off “foreign interference.”
The Prime Minister’s office described the meetings as a gesture of “goodwill” meant to “create a calm atmosphere” so negotiations could proceed.
The standoff highlights the fragility of Somalia’s political settlement as the May 2026 deadline approaches.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has been pushing to switch to a universal “one-person, one-vote” system. This would replace the current, complex, indirect model where clan elders select lawmakers.
However, the opposition coalition—which includes the leaders of the semi-autonomous states of Puntland and Jubaland—views the push as unrealistic, given the security situation and fears it is a pretext for a term extension.
The “Somali Future Council,” formed in Nairobi in late 2025, represents the most significant challenge to Mohamud’s administration, uniting disparate opposition figures under a single banner.
By choosing to stay in the talks despite the airport skirmish, the opposition appears to be betting on a strategy of engagement. However, the incident has undoubtedly hardened the atmosphere in Mogadishu.
“The leaders of the Federal Government… are well aware of the protocols and special status afforded to former presidents,” the Council’s statement read, calling the incident an act that “reflects on the honor of state institutions.”
