Somalia’s Leadership Meets in Mogadishu as NCC Talks Aim to Rebuild National Consensus

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia’s federal leadership opened a pivotal round of talks in Mogadishu Tuesday, as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud chaired the latest session of the National Consultative Council (NCC), a forum seen as crucial to resolving the country’s political divisions and advancing long-promised reforms.

Held at Villa Somalia, the meeting brought together leaders from key Federal Member States — Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Southwest, as well as the Prime Minister, his deputy, and the Mayor of Mogadishu.

For the first time, the leader of SSC-Khatumo, Abdiqadir Ahmed Aw-Ali Firdhiye, joined as an official federal participant, following the federal government’s recognition of the breakaway region last month.

However, the absence of Puntland and Jubbaland, two influential regions boycotting the talks, cast a long shadow over the proceedings. Their continued disengagement highlights growing strains within Somalia’s federal framework, particularly over electoral authority and constitutional interpretation.

Despite the political rifts, the Council convened to address a slate of urgent national issues, including the intensifying war on al-Shabaab and ISIS militants, preparations for local elections in Mogadishu, and the long-delayed shift toward a one-person, one-vote electoral system.

The discussions come as voter registration gains momentum in the capital, where thousands of citizens have already signed up for local council elections scheduled for June. These polls represent the first attempt in decades to move beyond Somalia’s clan-based political system toward direct democracy – a transformative step if successfully implemented.

“The NCC is not just another meeting, it is the engine room of Somalia’s future,” said a government official close to the discussions. “We are at a turning point. The choices made here will determine whether the country moves forward together or fragments further.”

Federal officials have voiced hope that Puntland and Jubbaland will rejoin the process, but both states have so far remained non-committal. Puntland has already launched its own electoral roadmap outside federal coordination, accusing Mogadishu of unilateralism and constitutional violations.

Still, the inclusion of SSC-Khatumo marks a shift in federal dynamics, potentially opening the door to a broader rethinking of how Somalia integrates new or contested regions into its governance model.

For Somalia, a country emerging from decades of conflict and fragmentation, the stakes of the NCC could not be higher. It is not only a forum for dialogue, it is a test of unity, legitimacy, and the will to build a functional federal state.