By Hassan Adan
High-level talks between Somalia’s federal government and key opposition leaders ended without a breakthrough on Friday, leaving critical questions over the country’s political future unresolved just hours before the expiry of the current government’s constitutional mandate.
The closed-door meeting, held inside Mogadishu’s heavily guarded Halane diplomatic compound, brought together President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, senior government officials and leading opposition figures in what analysts described as one of the most consequential political negotiations in recent months.
Among opposition leaders attending the talks were Said Abdullahi Deni and former Somali president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, according to sources familiar with the meeting.
Sources close to the negotiations said the opposition opened the talks by demanding the immediate release of political detainees, journalists and social activists arrested in recent weeks, before discussions shifted to more contentious issues including the electoral roadmap, constitutional amendments and the political transition beyond May 15.
Officials briefed on the negotiations said both sides also differed sharply over proposals aimed at managing the transition period, with opposition delegates insisting that any technical arrangements must follow a broader political settlement.
No joint communiqué was issued after several hours of discussions, underscoring the depth of divisions between the two camps, though sources indicated that back-channel consultations were expected to continue in an effort to salvage the dialogue.
The talks come amid rising political tensions after opposition groups announced plans for a mass demonstration in Mogadishu on May 16, accusing the government of political repression, arbitrary arrests and attempts to steer the country toward a disputed electoral process.
President Mohamud’s administration has repeatedly denied any intention to extend its tenure, insisting that dialogue remains the only viable path toward resolving Somalia’s increasingly fragile political impasse.
Diplomatic and political observers warn that failure to secure a consensus in the coming days could plunge the Horn of Africa nation into a fresh constitutional crisis at a particularly sensitive moment for its security and state-building efforts.
