Mogadishu (Somalia Today) – The United Nations and European Union expressed “regret” on Sunday and urged an immediate compromise after Somali federal authorities blocked security details for opposition leaders, throwing planned election talks into disarray.
The diplomatic intervention comes just hours before a crucial National Consultative Council (NCC) meeting opens in Mogadishu, with international partners fearing the collapse of a dialogue intended to resolve the country’s constitutional crisis.
Regional presidents Said Abdullahi Deni of Puntland and Ahmed Madobe of Jubaland planned to arrive on Monday.
However, federal authorities denied their advance security teams entry on Sunday, turning back their aircraft and blocking those who briefly landed from disembarking their weapons.
‘Shame’ and ‘regrets’
The European Union’s Ambassador to Somalia, Francesca Di Mauro, sharply criticized the breakdown in logistics.
“Shame that advance teams from Puntland and Jubaland could not arrive today in Mogadishu,” Di Mauro said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
“Whatever the misunderstanding, the EU hopes that all sides will find a solution for this key dialogue to happen.”
She emphasized the need to create a “conducive environment for substantive discussions, leading to a way forward on elections.”
The United Nations Transitional Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) also issued a statement regretting that authorities did not grant the “necessary technical clearances” for the regional teams.
Warning of the high stakes, the UN mission noted the “upcoming end of Constitutional mandates” and urged both the Federal Government and the opposition to “prioritize the agreed dialogue forum.”
“We urge rapid completion of the preparatory work by the technical teams,” UNTMIS stated, calling on all sides to create favorable conditions to “convene the dialogue and reach an agreement.”
Opposition fury
The opposition umbrella “Somali Future Council” (Madasha Mustaqbalka), which includes the leadership of Puntland and Jubaland, condemned the government’s actions as a “reckless dictatorial decision” that endangered the lives of their delegations.
In a furious press statement released late Sunday, the Council accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of a pattern of obstruction, citing “meetings and rhetoric contrary to the dialogue’s intent” and unilateral constitutional changes.
“The Somali Future Council declares that [the parties] had reached an agreement regarding the security details… President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his government took a decision of pure aggression,” the statement read.
Despite the standoff, the Council signaled it had not yet fully withdrawn from the process.
“The Somali Future Council declares to the Somali people that it is ready for honest dialogue,” the group said, though it warned it would be “reviewing the path of the talks” in light of the blockade.
The Federal Government defended the decision, claiming regional leaders attempted to bring unauthorized “troops and weapons” into the capital, in violation of established security protocols for the high-security Halane base where the parties will hold the talks.
‘Serious threat’
The Federal Government firmly defended the blockade, portraying the attempted deployment as a “direct challenge” to national sovereignty.
The Ministry of Internal Security stated that regional leaders attempted to deploy “large numbers of heavily armed forces” into the capital without coordination, warning that such “unilateral actions” threatened the city’s stability.
Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi issued a scathing rebuke, arguing that the “heavily armed contingent” posed a risk that weapons could be stockpiled or “deliberately handed over to other actors,” including criminal elements or terrorists.
He insisted that the Halane base, which hosts foreign embassies, operates under strict security protocols that even regional presidents must respect.
Fiqi also accused the leaders of a double standard. “When they travel to Addis Ababa, Nairobi, and Dubai, they travel stealthily carrying [only] bags… But when they travel to their own capital, they arm themselves like men heading to a final war,” Fiqi said.
He suggested the troops would be better used fighting Al-Shabaab in the “Calmiskaad Mountains” rather than serving as props for a “movie scene” in Mogadishu.
