Somali president invites Future Council for May 10 talks amid election impasse

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has invited the Somali Future Council to attend a meeting in Mogadishu on May 10, the presidency said in a statement on Saturday.

The invitation follows weeks of consultations between the president and various segments of society, with the planned meeting expected to focus on key national priorities.

According to the statement, the agenda will center on accelerating state-building efforts, particularly electoral processes, strengthening national unity, and setting the country’s future political direction.

The president underscored the need for compromise and mutual understanding to ensure the talks yield tangible results, reaffirming the federal government’s commitment to building an inclusive political system based on consensus, unity, sovereignty, and statehood.

The invitation comes less than 15 days before the president’s current term is set to expire, with no agreement yet reached on national elections.

It remains unclear whether opposition groups will attend the meeting. Previous rounds of talks have collapsed, with opposition figures accusing the president of attempting to influence the electoral process.

Shortly before the presidency’s announcement, opposition leaders said they would present within a week an alternative proposal for elections in Somalia, rejecting both indirect voting and a one-person, one-vote system.

GAROWE ONLINE