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Somalia's political leaders sign deal to end impasse over elections

Somalia's PM Mohamed Hussein Roble and regional state presidents sign agreement to allow elections within 60 days after a deadlock that had held them up for months.

Somalian Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sign an agreement on the upcoming elections in Mogadishu in a photo posted by Somalia News Agency on Twitter on May 27, 2021.

Somalia's government has announced that delayed elections would be held within 60 days, following months of deadlock over the vote that erupted into violence in the troubled country.

"About the schedule of elections, the national consultative forum agreed that elections will be held within 60 days" with the exact dates to be determined by the electoral board, deputy information minister Abdirahman Yusuf announced on Thursday at the conclusion of talks.

Somalia's Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and regional state presidents signed an agreement to allow elections to take place after an impasse that had held them up for months, the state-run broadcaster said on Twitter.

Clan elders were meant to have selected lawmakers in December, who in turn were due to elect a new president on February 8.

Both procedures failed to take place, amid disputes over a number of issues including the composition of an election commission which would supervise the voting.

Prime Minister Rooble expresses his appreciation to the leaders of Federal Member States and Governor of Banadir for their role of the election agreement. He said “they have truly shown a great degree of flexibility, compromise, patience and leadership”.
— SONNA (@SONNALIVE) May 27, 2021

Political crisis

Somalia was initially aiming to hold its first direct election since civil war erupted in 1991, but delays in preparations and continuous attacks by Al Shabab had forced it to resort to an indirect vote.

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has sought a second term. The opposition accused him of packing regional and national electoral boards with his allies.

In April, the lower house of parliament voted to extend the president's four-year term by another two years.

The Senate rejected the extension, and troops opposed to the move seized positions in the capital. They have since returned to barracks.

The political crisis has caused concern that clans could turn on each other and Al Shabab, a militant group linked to Al Qaeda, could exploit a security vacuum.