Somalia Government Says it Remains Open to Talks With Opposition

By Nuh Mohamed - Reporter

Mogadishu (Dawan Africa) Somalia’s federal government said it remains open to talks with the opposition, after the latest Mogadishu round ended without an agreement.

Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama, who was among federal officials involved in the negotiations with opposition leaders, said the government believes political disputes can be resolved through dialogue and compromise.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Dawan Media’s Mizan Podcast, Jama said Somalia still needs continued political negotiations as the country stabilizes.

“The right path for this country is to move forward through dialogue and negotiations,” Jama said.

He rejected accusations that the government was not interested in reaching a political settlement with the opposition.

“I do not think the government — whatever else people may accuse us of — can be accused of being unwilling to engage in dialogue and negotiations,” he said.

His remarks come after recent talks between the government and opposition leaders failed to produce an agreement. The discussions focused on issues including the electoral process, the constitution and the country’s broader political direction.

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Jama said the next step should be to move ahead with the electoral process, arguing that Somalia has entered a new political phase.

He said the Somali people had waited for many years for the opportunity to directly elect their leaders.

The deputy prime minister said the government was ready for talks on the procedures and technical arrangements of the elections, but would not abandon the principle of one-person, one-vote elections.

“Our position is that everything else is open to dialogue and negotiation, but the only principle on the table for us is an election based on one-person, one-vote,” Jama said.

Disputes between the government and the opposition had initially centred largely on the electoral model and the completion of the constitution. However, the debate has now expanded to include disagreement over the government’s term in office.

Opposition leaders argue that the president’s mandate expired on May 15 under Somalia’s 2012 Provisional Constitution. The government says the mandate runs until May 2027, citing recently approved constitutional amendments.