MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s international partners are intensifying pressure on federal member state leaders to attend a crucial National Consultative Council (NCC) meeting convened by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, scheduled to open in Mogadishu on May 5, Caasimada Online news website reported on Sunday.
The United Nations Special Representative for Somalia James Swan has undertaken a series of high-level visits to regional states in recent days, urging their leaders to participate in the talks aimed at resolving growing political tensions ahead of the 2026 presidential election.
President Mohamud has pledged to hold a landmark one-person, one-vote election—an unprecedented move in Somalia’s recent history of indirect voting. However, opposition leaders and some regional state authorities have pushed back, arguing that the plan is unworkable under current conditions and could be used as a pretext to extend the president’s mandate.
Sources say the UN envoy has pressed all parties to de-escalate tensions and reach a consensus on the electoral framework, warning that continued political fragmentation threatens Somalia’s fragile progress in state-building and security.
The NCC forum, bringing together federal and state leaders, is viewed as critical to securing agreement on contentious political issues. Its success, analysts say, will hinge on the willingness of all sides to compromise amid deep-rooted mistrust and competing visions for Somalia’s future.
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