By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Mogadishu, 18 September 2026 - Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said on Friday that talks between the federal government and opposition had failed to move forward, blaming the country's leaders for the lack of progress.
"The talks have not moved forward, and the reason is that those in power are not interested," Sharif said.
Sharif, who leads the opposition Himilo Qaran party, made the remarks at the close of a two-day party meeting held in Mogadishu on Sept. 17 and 18.
He said the opposition had made several concessions that were rejected by the government, accusing the country's leaders of prioritising their continued hold on power over efforts to reach a political settlement. He however did not mention the concessions so far made by the opposition.
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Sharif warned that the political dispute was putting the national interest at risk and called on the parties to discuss what he described as the need to save the country.
He did not explicitly say that the talks had collapsed.
His remarks came as the government and opposition have recently been engaged in discussions aimed at reaching an agreement on Somalia's forthcoming elections.