Kismayo, Jubbaland – Senior Somali opposition figures continued arriving in Kismayo on Wednesday as final preparations were completed for a major political conference scheduled to begin this afternoon, a gathering anticipated to define the opposition’s position before the country’s next electoral cycle.
Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was among the first senior leaders to arrive, reaching Kismayo airport on Tuesday evening with a delegation formally welcomed by Jubbaland officials.
Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni also entered the city, joining numerous opposition leaders already engaged in consultations preceding the conference.
Jubbaland President Ahmed Islam Madobe greeted the delegations at Sayid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan Airport, highlighting Jubbaland’s role as host of what appears to be the most significant opposition assembly held outside Mogadishu in recent years.
Additional opposition politicians are expected in Kismayo this morning, with most delegations remaining overnight in the coastal city as private discussions persist among Salvation Forum leaders and other political figures.
The conference, beginning later today, is set to officially establish the Somali Future Council, an opposition coalition uniting politicians from Mogadishu with officials from the Puntland and Jubbaland administrations.
The council is expected to select its leadership during the session, with Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and President Madobe considered front-runners for prominent roles.
Central to the deliberations is Somalia’s political transition, with opposition leaders firmly against any extension of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term, concluding in 2026.
The council has also expressed strong opposition to the federal government’s attempts to implement one-person, one-vote elections, stating that current security and political environments render the model impractical.
Instead, opposition representatives have advocated for a consensual electoral process and cautioned against unilateral constitutional modifications or exclusive elections, positions likely to feature prominently in the conference’s final declarations.
As delegates keep arriving, focus now shifts to the results of the Kismayo discussions and the message the opposition will convey to Villa Somalia at a pivotal point in the nation’s political timeline.
