Mogadishu (Somalia Today) – Somalia’s political rivals appear to agree that the country will eventually move toward some form of direct elections, Washington’s top diplomat in Mogadishu has said.
But Justin Davis, the US Chargé d’Affaires to Somalia, said the two sides remain divided over how and when that transition should happen, and who should lead it.
Davis made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Dawan Africa, as a deepening political dispute pits the Federal Government of Somalia against opposition figures over electoral timelines, constitutional changes and the planned shift to one-person, one-vote elections.
Davis gave the interview before two rounds of talks on Wednesday and Thursday between the government and opposition, which he and UK Ambassador Charles King helped facilitate, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The latest talks failed to produce an agreement, underscoring the depth of the divide between the two sides despite diplomatic efforts to keep the process alive.
‘Inevitable’
“I think both sides agree that some form of direct elections is inevitable,” Davis said.
“So, the dispute centers on how, on what timeline, and under whose leadership direct elections are instituted,” he added.
The federal government says direct elections are essential to move Somalia beyond the decades-long, clan-based indirect selection model that has shaped national politics for decades.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration has presented the transition as a necessary step toward giving citizens the right to choose their leaders directly and ending a political system dominated by elite bargaining.
But opposition leaders say the process must rest on a broad national consensus. They accuse the government of pushing ahead unilaterally and using the electoral agenda to extend its time in office.
They also argue that universal suffrage is not yet feasible across Somalia due to insecurity, weak institutions, and unresolved disputes between the federal government and some federal member states.
The government rejects that argument, saying recent local elections in Mogadishu and South West State have shown that Somalia can hold direct voting.
‘Timely and practical’
Davis did not endorse any specific electoral model or timeline, saying Somalis must make that decision.
“Our position has not changed: The Somali people should choose their own leaders, and the specific process and timelines of elections are up to them,” he said.
But he said the country needed a process that could move forward without causing further instability.
“What’s also important is that there is a timely and practical electoral process followed by a peaceful transfer of power,” Davis said.
Somalia held a controversial local election in Mogadishu in December, the country’s 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 toward restoring direct voting, while critics said it risked deepening political mistrust unless leaders anchored the wider electoral process in a national agreement.
The latest dispute follows parliament’s approval of constitutional changes that reshaped parts of the political transition and intensified debate over the timing of national elections.
Opposition groups have warned that the changes could weaken consensus politics and concentrate power in the presidency.
Government officials say Somalia needs the reforms to complete its long-delayed constitutional review and create a more accountable political system.
Compromise call
Davis said Washington had urged both the government and opposition leaders to keep talking and seek a compromise.
“No one expects any side to emerge from talks with everything they want,” he said. “Compromise requires communication.”
The failure of the latest talks to produce an agreement underscored the depth of the divide between the two sides, despite diplomatic efforts to keep the process alive.
He said the disagreements went beyond the election calendar and included property disputes, federal-state relations and other political questions.
“Good faith dialogue, without resorting to threats or violence, is the best way to resolve these disagreements and help the country move forward,” Davis said.
He also said Somali leaders had a responsibility to show the public that they were acting in the national interest.
“The international community looks forward to seeing progress in the talks this week between the FGS and the political opposition,” he said. “It is imperative that Somalis see their leaders doing everything they can to move the country forward.”
“The question is whether leaders will give Somalis a fighting chance or just a fight,” Davis added. “This country has been through some very difficult fights. Peace, opportunity, and prosperity should win the next battles.”
Davis said Somalia could better focus on security, corruption, economic growth, foreign investment and improving living standards if political leaders resolved their disputes peacefully.
Somalia is still battling Al-Shabaab and other militant threats while trying to rebuild state institutions after decades of conflict.
Davis said lasting security remained central to Washington’s engagement in Somalia, but warned that political instability could undermine wider progress.
“We are focused on countering terrorism and promoting security to ensure Somalia does not become a safe haven for people who wish to harm the United States or its interests,” he said.
