Monday June 16, 2025
FILE - Dr. Mohamed Adan Koofi, Secretary General of the Somali Salvation Forum, speaks during a recorded interview in Mogadishu. He announced the Forum’s decision to boycott the federal government’s national consultation forum. Koofi criticized the process as exclusionary and lacking transparency, and called for a more inclusive political dialogue involving all Somali stakeholders.
Mogadishu (HOL) — The Somali Salvation Forum has rejected an invitation to participate in the national consultation forum convened by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, citing exclusion, lack of transparency, and a failure to engage key Somali stakeholders.
The forum, initially scheduled to open Monday in Mogadishu, has already faced delays and growing public skepticism. Forum Secretary General Dr. Mohamed Adan Koofi said the group would not take part in what he described as a “cosmetic consultation” that risks deepening divisions instead of building consensus.
“The train led by President Hassan Sheikh has derailed and needs to be reset,” Koofi said in an interview with Arlaadi Media. “We will not join a table where Somalis are missing, nor participate in a process that fragments the country.”
Koofi said the opposition coalition had requested a clear agenda and a full list of participants ahead of the meeting but received no response. He also questioned the federal government’s capacity to deliver a one-person, one-vote electoral process, citing recent incidents in Dhusamareb where residents rejected voter registration cards, a move he warned could signal broader electoral resistance across regions.
The national consultation forum was announced in early June as part of President Mohamud’s effort to engage political stakeholders on constitutional reform, the federal model, and election planning ahead of Somalia’s 2026 elections. Organized by a government-appointed committee, the forum has been presented as a Somali-led, inclusive process. However, major opposition groups and federal member states remain unconvinced.
Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni has also refused to participate, calling instead for a broader summit involving federal and regional governments, former leaders, and other influential voices. He warned that proceeding without national consensus would further erode trust.
Despite the growing resistance, the federal government has continued talks with civil society leaders as well as political parties registered with the National Independent Electoral Commission, an institution whose appointments were previously boycotted by the opposition.
Whether the forum will proceed this week remains uncertain. But without the participation of Puntland, Jubaland, and the main opposition coalition, its ability to deliver legitimate outcomes remains in serious question by local and international observers. The impasse highlights the political fragility Somalia faces as it works to finalize its provisional constitution and transition toward a more inclusive, democratic system.