The Kismayo Opposition Conference concluded tonight with resounding success, delivering a definitive rejection of the current administration’s political malfeasance. The three-day summit (December 18–20) was attended by the Somalia Salvation Council—including former president, prime ministers, and presidential candidates—alongside the Presidents of Puntland and Jubbaland, federal lawmakers, and prominent leaders from civil society, religious groups, women’s organizations, and the business community.
The resulting four-page communique serves as a final warning to the federal government, outlining a roadmap to rescue the nation from an “imminent collapse” triggered by systemic failure.
I. Immediate Action: Halting the Dec. 25th “Sham” Election
The opposition issued an urgent, high-stakes warning against the Federal Government’s reckless attempt to hold a one-party election for the Justice and Solidarity Party in Mogadishu on December 25, 2025.
* A Mockery of Standards: The conference condemned the exercise as being devoid of legitimate electoral standards. Reports indicate the government plans to shutdown public movement, using state vehicles to transport hand-picked voters while forcibly converting universities into polling stations under threat of administrative sanction.
* The Extension Pretext: The federal government’s insistence on this “one person, one vote” facade is a transparent pretext for an illegal term extension. The opposition asserts this model is a falsehood that effectively entrenches the 4.5 clan representation formula rather than moving beyond it.
* Sabotaging Dialogue: Proceeding with this vote on Christmas Day is viewed as an act of political sabotage intended to terminate national dialogue and plunge Somalia into a profound constitutional crisis.
II. Systematic Failures (2022–2025): A Crisis of Leadership
The communique provides a brutal assessment of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s tenure, characterizing it as a period of unprecedented institutional decay and humanitarian deterioration.
* Security & Military Setbacks: The administration has presided over the disintegration of the security forces. Rampant corruption has led to a disastrous reversal of previous gains in the war against Al-Shabab.
* Constitutional Authoritarianism: The President is held personally responsible for the “unilateral mutilation” of the Provisional Federal Constitution. By forcing through amendments to four chapters and enacting three controversial laws without consensus, he has installed a partisan electoral commission that functions as an arm of the presidency.
* Targeted Political Warfare: The federal government has weaponized its power to “strangle” and embargo non-compliant Federal Member States. The communique highlights the human suffering inflicted on Jubbaland for its rejection of illegal term extensions, noting that “division and incitement” have become the administration’s primary tools of governance.
* Suppression of Liberty: A heavy-handed crackdown has criminalized dissent. Through extortion and exploitation, the government has successfully intimidated the press and civil society into a state of forced silence.
III. The “Looting of the Republic”: Corruption Allegations
The communique uses its strongest language to expose what it describes as the brazen, personal depravity of the presidency:
* Scorched-Earth Land Grabbing: The administration has carried out inhumane, unlawful evictions of the most vulnerable—Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)—from public lands without legal process or compensation.
* Personal Enrichment: The opposition alleges that the Presidency personally negotiated the sale of these cleared lands to private speculators, with the proceeds pocketed privately rather than deposited in the National Treasury. This “historic low” represents a shameful betrayal of the Somali people.
IV. Clarification on Opposition Unity and Leadership
Detractors and pro-government critics have repeatedly claimed that the Kismayo conference failed because it did not produce a unified leadership structure. The opposition dismisses these criticisms as a fundamental misunderstanding of democratic principles:
* Competition vs. Cooperation: While opposition groups naturally compete among themselves, they are unified in the singular goal of establishing a national electoral framework with credible implementation mechanisms.
* Commitment to Standards: There is no necessity to form a unified leadership structure at this stage, as the participants are rivals in a future free and fair election. Their current alliance is built solely on ensuring that such elections are governed by transparent, verifiable, and democratic standards.
V. The 30-Day Ultimatum (Dec 20 – Jan 20)
The opposition has offered a final window for reconciliation, setting a hard deadline of January 20, 2026.
1. Mandatory Framework: President Hassan Sheikh must enter into a legitimate framework for free and fair elections. The opposition warns that politics must no longer be defined by “cheating, lying, and bribery.”
2. The Red Line: A term extension will not be accepted under any circumstances.
3. Constitutional Restoration: The opposition declares the 2012 Provisional Federal Constitution as the only law of the land. All unilateral amendments are deemed null, void, and illegitimate.
4. Parallel Governance: If no agreement is reached by January 20th, the opposition will proceed with independent elections. This move will formally de-legitimize the Federal Government and establish a parallel system to protect the nation from further abuse.
VI. Appeal to the International Community
The conference exhorted Somalia’s international partners to facilitate a credible transition to avoid a power squabble after the expiration of current mandates in April and May 2026. The communique conveys a grim reality: the current leadership appears neither willing nor capable of compromise. Only urgent international and national collaboration can prevent a return to widespread political violence.
W/Q : Dr. Maxamuud Maxamed Culusow
AFEEF: Aragtida & macluumaadka qoraalku xambaarsan yahay waxay u gaartay qoraha, kama turjumayso aragtida Horn Broadcasting Network (HBN)