Somalia: Opposition Coalition to hold Major Conference on National Elections

KISMAYO, Somalia — Members of the Somali opposition coalition, known as the Somali Salvation Forum, held a private meeting in Mogadishu on Wednesday night to discuss the country’s political situation, particularly upcoming elections and the Jubaland conference.

Reliable sources close to the meeting confirmed that the coalition members decided to fully participate in the conference organized by the Jubaland regional administration, given its focus on resolving the country’s political deadlock.

The group also agreed to travel to Kismayo on Dec. 17 for the long-planned conference, which is being closely monitored by both local and national stakeholders. President Ahmed Madobe participated in the discussions via phone, contributing his views to the forum.

Parliamentarians from both houses, academics, and civil society representatives are also expected to attend, ensuring a broad range of perspectives are considered.

The main goal of the conference is to reach a unified vision among Somali stakeholders and develop a transparent, feasible electoral framework, aiming to improve upon previous efforts to resolve political disputes.

The Kismayo gathering is expected to be the largest opposition-led conference to date. It is being organized collaboratively by Jubaland, Puntland, and the opposition coalition within the Somali Future Council, with plans to include other political figures outside the council.

The forum comes amid growing tensions over the federal government’s implementation of one-person, one-vote elections, which the opposition has openly opposed.

GAROWE ONLINE