Mogadishu (Somalia Today) – The European Union has urged Somalia’s leaders to launch an inclusive, peaceful process to reach a political agreement on the country’s electoral agenda, amid growing tensions over the planned shift to one-person, one-vote polls.
The appeal followed the first EU-Somalia Partnership Dialogue, held in Mogadishu on May 10 under the Samoa Agreement, where senior Somali officials and EU diplomats discussed governance, security, migration and economic cooperation.
Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama led the Somali delegation, while Ambassador Francesca Di Mauro led the EU side, which included ambassadors and representatives from several EU member states.
In a joint statement, the Federal Government of Somalia said it had briefed the EU on the constitutional review process and “critical ongoing talks” with key political figures and entities over the next steps in the electoral agenda.
The EU said it expected all sides to make every effort “in the coming days” to begin an inclusive and peaceful process aimed at reaching a political agreement and ensuring stability across Somalia.
Election dispute
The statement comes as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government faces growing opposition criticism over the country’s political transition.
The federal government says direct elections are needed to move Somalia beyond the decades-long, clan-based model that has shaped national politics.
Opposition figures say the transition must rest on a broad consensus and accuse the government of pushing ahead unilaterally.
They also argue that universal suffrage is not yet feasible across Somalia due to insecurity, weak institutions, and unresolved disputes with some federal member states.
The government rejects that argument, saying recent local elections in Mogadishu and South West State have shown that direct voting can take place.
Somalia held a controversial local election in Mogadishu in December, described as the first one-person, one-vote poll in the capital since 1969.
The vote took place across Mogadishu’s 16 districts, with more than 900,000 registered voters, but opposition parties rejected it as flawed and one-sided.
The federal government described the exercise as a step towards restoring direct voting, while critics said it risked deepening political mistrust unless leaders anchored the wider electoral process in a national agreement.
Constitutional tensions
Parliament’s approval of constitutional changes earlier this year has also fuelled the latest dispute.
The amendments intensified debate over the timing of national elections and the balance of power between the presidency, parliament and federal member states.
Opposition groups have warned that the changes could weaken consensus politics and concentrate power in the presidency.
Government officials say the reforms are needed to complete Somalia’s long-delayed constitutional review and create a more accountable political system.
Somalia has operated under a provisional constitution since 2012, and repeated attempts to finalise the document have exposed deep tensions between the federal government, regional administrations and opposition groups.
Those tensions have drawn comparisons with Somalia’s 2021 election crisis, when a proposed extension of then-president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo’s mandate triggered armed clashes in Mogadishu and forced leaders back into negotiations.
The EU statement avoided direct criticism of any side, but its language placed clear emphasis on consensus, peace and political stability.
The EU described Somalia as a key partner and said the dialogue reaffirmed shared interests between Mogadishu and Brussels.
The talks also covered security cooperation, migration, economic governance and the EU’s Global Gateway agenda.
The EU said Somalia’s security position remained strategically important because the country sits at the crossroads of Asian and European maritime routes.
It also reaffirmed support for counterterrorism through the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia and efforts to strengthen Somali security forces.
But the political section of the statement is likely to draw the most attention in Mogadishu, where both the government and opposition are under pressure to avoid a prolonged standoff.
