Wednesday May 7, 2025
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud meets with federal and regional leaders at Villa Somalia during the opening day of the National Consultative Council summit in Mogadishu on May 6, 2025. The summit brought together leaders from Galmudug, Hirshabelle, South West, SSC-Khaatumo, and Banadir, with Puntland and Jubbaland notably absent from the talks.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s National Consultative Council (NCC) convened for a second day in Mogadishu on Wednesday, as federal and regional leaders gathered to discuss major national priorities, including security operations, electoral reforms, and intergovernmental relations—despite a continued boycott by the leaders of Puntland and Jubbaland.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is chairing the talks at Villa Somalia, joined by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama, and the presidents of Galmudug, Hirshabelle, South West, and the newly recognized SSC-Khaatumo State, as well as the Banadir regional administration.
For the first time, SSC-Khaatumo leader Abdiqadir Ahmed Aw-Ali Firdhiye is participating in the NCC as a recognized federal member state representative. His inclusion follows the federal government’s formal recognition of SSC-Khaatumo last month, which has reshaped the political dynamics within the federal system.
The summit comes as Mogadishu undergoes an ambitious voter registration drive ahead of municipal elections scheduled for June. The registration marks a crucial step toward implementing Somalia’s long-promised shift to a one-person, one-vote electoral model—an issue high on the conference agenda.
However, the absence of Puntland and Jubbaland casts a shadow over the meeting. Both states have rejected the process, accusing the federal government of constitutional violations and centralizing power at the expense of regional autonomy. Puntland, in particular, has launched its own electoral process outside the federal framework, signalling deepening fragmentation in Somalia’s political order.
The NCC is expected to conclude with a joint communiqué outlining the agreements reached between the federal government and participating member states. Observers both within Somalia and abroad are watching closely, as the summit’s outcome could shape the country’s fragile path toward constitutional completion, security stabilization, and democratic transition.
The international community has repeatedly urged Somali leaders to resume inclusive dialogue and reach consensus on contentious issues, warning that failure to unify could jeopardize donor support and national progress.