Somalia: Hassan Sheikh to extend parliamentary session amid opposition boycott

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Reports suggest that estranged Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud extended the current parliamentary session as he seeks to complete critical legislative changes, even as the opposition boycotted crucial talks in Mogadishu.

The opposition was set to meet Hassan Sheikh today (June 15th, 2025), but it rejected the offer, further exposing Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his administration, which is under scrutiny from members of the international community.

In their statement, the opposition leaders maintained that unless Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was ready to address the key contentious issues, there would be no room for meetings that would have resolved the current political divisions.

They are demanding genuine commitment and transparency from Villa Somalia for any meaningful engagement, which, at the moment, they argue, cannot be fulfilled due to a toxic environment driven by the appetite to infringe constitutional democracy.

And now, sources tell Garowe Online that President Hassan Sheikh is seeking to extend the current parliamentary session in order to avoid its closure. His aim, according to sources, is to push through several key proposals before Parliament recesses.

Some of these proposals include approval of a Constitutional Court, the endorsement of a disputed Human Rights Commission and other politically sensitive measures which could plunge the country into a serious conflict ahead of elections.

These developments are unfolding amid firm opposition from political rivals and some Federal Member States, who reject the electoral framework and broader political agenda being advanced by President Hassan Sheikh.

Critics have also accused Hassan Sheikh of disrespect, arguing that Somalia can’t disband the C6+ because it did not create it. This team, mainly comprising Somalia’s international partners, is credited with the stability of the country.

“They are the ones ruling us. The minister who wrote the letter can’t even enter the Halane base [in Mogadishu] without being searched by Ugandan soldiers," said former Foreign Affairs minister Ahmed Eise Awad.

GAROWE ONLINE