Mogadishu (Dawan Africa) – The Somali Salvation Forum announced on Thursday night, following a three-day consultation among Mogadishu-based opposition members, that mediation talks with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud have ended without agreement.
According to the Forum, five negotiation sessions held over a month and a half failed to resolve disputes over constitutional amendments and the electoral process. Talks focused on national unity, the inclusion of all federal member states in the dialogue, and holding direct elections based on the 2012 Provisional Constitution.
“Unfortunately, no agreement was reached that could have given hope to the Somali people, resolved political disputes, and allowed full focus on efforts to defeat terrorism,” the Forum declared.
The Forum’s demands included reversing amendments to Chapter Four of the Constitution and related electoral laws, which it argues undermine the 2012 political settlement rooted in a parliamentary system, federal governance, and political power-sharing. It also called for the inclusion of Puntland and Jubbaland in the talks, an immediate ceasefire in Gedo region, and a halt to disputed public land cases that it says are fueling instability.
Warning that the current deadlock threatens both statehood and national unity, the Forum stated that “the country is entering a dangerous political impasse.”
Dawan Africa attempted to obtain comment from the government’s side, but no response was received.
