Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Closes Landmark National Consultative Forum with Strong Push for Direct Elections and Unity

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud officially concluded the National Consultative Forum in Mogadishu, marking a significant step toward national reconciliation, democratic transition, and constitutional finalization.

Held over four days in the capital, the forum brought together a diverse spectrum of Somali political actors, including federal leaders, Puntland political parties, former officials, registered federal political organizations, religious scholars, and civil society representatives.

The gathering served as a crucial platform to deliberate on the country’s most pressing political and constitutional challenges. Key themes included reconciliation, national unity, security stabilization, the completion of the federal constitution, and the pathway to fully democratic elections.

Key Outcomes of the Joint Communiqué:

• Resumption of Dialogue with Somaliland: The forum called for immediate re-engagement between the Federal Government and the Somaliland Administration to resolve long-standing disputes through peaceful dialogue.
• Rejection of Indirect Elections: Participants firmly rejected any return to clan-based indirect elections, emphasizing that Somalia’s future lies in universal suffrage and direct representation.
• Nationwide Local Elections: The forum encouraged the holding of local council elections across all regions as a foundation for broader one-person, one-vote democratic systems.
• Inclusive Electoral Agreement: Stakeholders endorsed comprehensive, inclusive dialogue aimed at reaching a nationwide agreement on the framework and timeline for parliamentary and presidential elections.
• Constitutional Finalization: The forum reaffirmed support for completing Somalia’s provisional constitution and transforming it into a lasting legal foundation for governance.
• Amendment and Review of Constitutional Chapters: It also welcomed structured political dialogue to review and amend both approved and pending chapters of the constitution to ensure broader consensus.

A Turning Point for Somalia’s Political Future

President Hassan Sheikh described the forum as a historic moment and a “reset for national politics,” adding that the Somali people deserve a democratic future shaped by inclusive processes, not backroom deals.

With this joint communiqué, Somalia moves one step closer to achieving long-delayed constitutional clarity and the realization of universal democratic elections — a dream held by the nation’s youth and long denied by decades of conflict and fragmented governance.