MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – Somalia’s National Consultative Council (NCC) resumed on Sunday following a previous unsuccessful attempt earlier this month that escalated tensions between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and regional state leaders over proposed term extensions and elections beyond 2026.
Originally scheduled for Saturday, October 26, the NCC meeting resumed a day late but without a breakthrough, as Villa Somalia failed to secure participation from Jubaland leader Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Ahmed Madobe). Puntland’s leader, Said Abdullahi Deni, has also boycotted the NCC, citing an increasing rift between Mogadishu and Garowe.
In an effort to gain regional support, President Mohamud visited Kenya last week to discuss the situation with President William Ruto, seeking his influence over Ahmed Madobe.
On Friday, October 25, Ruto reportedly held a two-hour private meeting with Ahmed Madobe in Eldoret, accompanied by Kenya’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) chief Noordin Haji, at Mohamud’s request.
Kenya is regarded as an ally of Jubaland’s Madobe administration.
However, Madobe declined to rejoin the NCC as it resumed on Sunday, casting further doubt on the council’s effectiveness.
The NCC meeting’s credibility has come under scrutiny, as key states like Jubaland and Puntland remain absent.
Puntland President Deni recently voiced support for Jubaland’s decision to boycott, asserting that any decision made without inclusive participation would be deemed illegitimate.
Deni further accused Mogadishu of attempting to undermine Somalia’s federal system.
The Khaatumo State, newly established in northern Somalia, was also barred from joining the NCC, despite having requested to participate.
Meanwhile, Somaliland, which claims independence, does not recognize the NCC or the Federal Government in Mogadishu, with significant portions of southern and central Somalia still under the influence of the terrorist group Al-Shabaab.
The growing dispute between President Mohamud and Ahmed Madobe reportedly began after Mohamud proposed extending regional leaders’ terms, despite their mandates having expired a year prior.
Sources suggest that President Mohamud is considering a unilateral election process after 2026, raising concerns among opposition leaders who warn against the risk of destabilizing Somalia’s federal framework.