MOGADISHU, Somalia –Somalia’s opposition-backed Somali Future Council (SFC) has called on African Union troop- and police-contributing countries to ensure that an inclusive political settlement becomes the cornerstone of any future security transition in Somalia, warning that lasting peace cannot be achieved without restoring political legitimacy.
In an open letter dated July 27, addressed to the heads of state, defence ministers, and military chiefs of Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Burundi, and Egypt, the council urged leaders gathering at the upcoming Kampala Summit to encourage Somalia’s political leaders to pursue dialogue, compromise, and an inclusive national agreement.
The letter comes as the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) prepares for discussions on its future mandate amid growing concerns over funding shortages and Somalia’s readiness to assume greater responsibility for its own security.
The Somali Future Council, which comprises former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, former prime ministers, former ministers, political leaders, and the presidents of Puntland and Jubaland, expressed appreciation for nearly two decades of sacrifice by African Union troops, acknowledging their contribution to Somalia’s fight against Al-Shabaab and regional security.
However, the council argued that Somalia is entering a dangerous political phase, claiming that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s constitutional mandate expired on May 15, 2026, while Parliament’s term ended on April 14, 2026, leaving the country without an agreed constitutional framework to manage the political transition.
According to the council, the absence of a legitimate and inclusive political agreement has deepened divisions, weakened national cohesion, and undermined efforts to combat Al-Shabaab and Islamic State-linked militants.
The group also criticised deteriorating relations between the Federal Government and the federal member states of Puntland and Jubaland, arguing that the political dispute has weakened cooperation among forces actively engaged in counterterrorism operations.
It further warned that the ongoing financial challenges facing AUSSOM and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) should not distract from what it described as the country’s central challenge—the absence of a broadly accepted and legitimate political order.
“No mission can substitute for a state, and no measure of foreign sacrifice can secure a country whose own leadership has forfeited its legitimacy,” the council said in the letter.
As a way forward, the Somali Future Council proposed establishing an inclusive Transitional Council to oversee constitutional and electoral arrangements until legitimate national institutions are peacefully renewed. It said such a body would restore political legitimacy, rebuild public confidence, protect the neutrality of the Somali National Army, and ensure that the transition is conducted transparently and inclusively.
The council urged African Union member states participating in the Kampala Summit to make support for a comprehensive political settlement a prerequisite for any future security transition.
“A Somali political settlement must be the foundation of any security transition,” the letter stated. “Somalia urgently needs an inclusive political settlement, and this should be the condition and foundation of any continued engagement.”
The appeal comes at a critical moment as Somali and African Union officials deliberate on the future of AUSSOM and the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to Somali forces while the country continues to face persistent threats from Al-Shabaab and other armed groups.
