Nairobi, Kenya — Key figures in Somalia’s opposition have converged in the Kenyan capital to consolidate their political strategy just as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud prepares for a critical visit to Kismayo for talks on the country’s future ahead of the 2026 elections.
Presidents Said Abdullahi Deni of Puntland and Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe of Jubbaland held what insiders described as “strategic discussions” with former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire and Member of Parliament Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame. All four are prominent members of the Somali Salvation Forum — a growing alliance positioning itself as a counterweight to the federal government in Mogadishu.
According to two senior sources familiar with the closed-door meetings, the Nairobi dialogue centered on “uniting and strengthening their stance” while pushing for “broader negotiations to build a nationwide consensus and avoid further delays” in Somalia’s electoral roadmap.
The timing of the Nairobi talks is highly symbolic. President Mohamud is expected in Kismayo in the coming days for what Villa Somalia has billed as a crucial dialogue on the nation’s political direction, particularly on contentious federal-state relations and power-sharing arrangements.
By meeting outside Somalia, opposition leaders appear to be signaling a coordinated front — one that seeks to influence or even pre-empt the president’s outreach to federal member states.
Diplomatic observers say the developments point to an escalating political showdown that could either force meaningful dialogue or deepen fragmentation ahead of 2026.