Eyes on NCC meeting in Mogadishu amid political crisis in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Millions of Somalis in the country and across the globe are keenly waiting for the upcoming National Consultative Council [NCC] meeting to be chaired by PM Roble, who is still at loggerheads with outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo.

The attempted suspension of PM Roble by Farmaajo on Dec. 27 and the ongoing power struggle between them have flared tensions and raised the specter of political violence in Somalia. Delegations led by Federal Member State leaders are arriving in the capital.

Already in the capital Mogadishu are Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni, Jubaland's Ahmed Madobe, Hirshabelle's Ali Gudlawe, Galmadug's Ahmed Kariye alias Qoorqoor and lately, Southwest's Abdiaziz Lafta-Gareen.

The FMS leaders along with PM Roble will partake in the National Consultative Council conference. The NCC gathering is expected to de-escalate the crisis and correct the course of the electoral process which lies at the heart of the rift between the president and his PM.

On Friday, PM Roble and FMS presidents Said Abdullahi Deni and President Madobe held preliminary talks ahead of the upcoming NCC conference to accelerate and correct flaws in the contentious electoral process. All five FMS leaders are expected to attend the critical election summit.

On Saturday, a delegation led by South West State President Laftagareen arrived in Mogadishu. President Laftagareen is expected to join the hotly-anticipated NCC summit alongside his FMS counterparts and PM Roble.

On Sunday evening, Roble held talks with Galmudug, HirShabelle, and Southwest leaders at a hotel in Mogadishu ahead of the opening of the meeting. No date has been set for the opening of the talks, but it's expected to kick off this week.

Lafta-Gareen, a close associate of outgoing President Farmaajo, was initially reluctant to join the NCC. Laftagareen has now yielded to pressure, confirming his participation, and his decision to attend signals a loosening of Farmaajo’s grip on the electoral process, further isolating him.

The United States, the European Union, United Nations, and the African Union have been pushing for the NCC meeting, insisting that it will help solve the current electoral impasse. Farmaajo and PM Roble are tussling over the control of security and electoral exercise.

Already, the opposition accuses Farmaajo of stage-managing elections in Somalia for his own personal gains ahead of presidential polls. The Lower House members and those from Senate will vote to determine the president of the country.

So far, Farmaajo is facing stiff competition from former Presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire and Wadajir party leader Abdirahman Abdishakur.