Opposition Leaders Converge in Kismayo Ahead of High-Stakes Conference

GOOBJOOG NEWS | KISMAYO: Senior Somali opposition figures continued to arrive in the port city of Kismayo on Wednesday as final preparations got underway for a major political conference opening this afternoon, a gathering expected to shape the opposition’s stance ahead of the country’s next electoral cycle.

Former Somali president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was among the first senior figures to arrive, landing at Kismayo airport on Tuesday evening with a delegation that was formally received by Jubbaland officials. Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni also arrived in the city, joining a growing number of opposition leaders already holding consultations ahead of the conference.

Jubbaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam, widely known as Ahmed Madobe, welcomed the delegations at Sayid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan Airport, underscoring Jubbaland’s role as host of what is shaping up to be the largest opposition gathering held outside Mogadishu in recent years.

More opposition politicians are expected to arrive in Kismayo this morning, with most delegations spending the night in the coastal city as closed-door meetings continue among leaders of the Salvation Forum and other political figures.

The conference, set to open later today, is expected to formalise the launch of the Somali Future Council, an opposition platform bringing together politicians from Mogadishu alongside the Puntland and Jubbaland administrations. The council is expected to elect its leadership during the meeting, with Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and President Ahmed Madobe tipped to play leading roles.

At the centre of the discussions is Somalia’s political transition, with opposition leaders strongly opposed to any extension of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term, which ends in 2026. The council has also voiced firm resistance to the federal government’s push to implement one-person, one-vote elections, arguing that current security and political conditions make the model unworkable.

Opposition figures have instead called for a consensual electoral process and warned against unilateral constitutional changes or non-inclusive elections, positions that are expected to feature prominently in the conference’s final resolutions.

As delegates continue to arrive, attention is now focused on the outcome of the Kismayo talks and the message the opposition will send to Villa Somalia at a critical moment in the country’s political calendar.