Mogadishu (WDN) — In a striking sign of deepening political fractures, opposition figures largely drawn from the Hawiye clan have reportedly rejected a meeting requested by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

According to multiple sources, the president sought to engage opposition leaders amid escalating tensions over the country’s stalled electoral process. The effort, however, appears to have failed. Opposition figures reportedly declined not only a formal meeting but even informal talks at a neutral venue —an unusual and telling rebuff, the claims is independently verified by multiple sources.

Opposition leaders argue that the administration itself bears responsibility for the breakdown in dialogue, accusing the president of systematically closing political space and eroding trust. “There is no confidence left,” one source familiar with their position indicated, reflecting a broader sentiment within opposition ranks.

At the same time, skepticism surrounds the president’s outreach. The overtures may be less about genuine reconciliation and more about optics—an attempt to portray himself as a leader open to dialogue at a moment of mounting domestic and international scrutiny. The opposition, however, appears unconvinced by this narrative.

The political strain was further underscored by a reported phone conversation between President Hassan Sheikh and former president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. Sources within the Himilo Qaran Party say the president requested a private meeting at Villa Somalia. Sheikh Sharif is said to have declined.

In his response, the former president reportedly emphasized that both as part of a broader opposition bloc and as a relative, he and his allies had not been afforded due consideration. With time running out before key constitutional deadlines, he is said to have urged the president to clarify any shift in his political position publicly, rather than pursue limited one-on-one engagements that, in his view, would carry little weight.

Behind the scenes, concerns appear to be mounting within Villa Somalia. Sources suggest that President Hassan fears potential fractures within the Somali National Army, particularly the possibility that opposition figures could influence clan-aligned units—especially from the Abgaal sub-clan—to disengage from ongoing operations in the Middle Shabelle region and SWS.

Whether these fears are well-founded or politically exaggerated, they point to a more troubling reality: Somalia’s political crisis is no longer confined to rhetoric. It is increasingly intersecting with the country’s fragile security architecture.

With trust eroding, dialogue stalling, and deadlines fast approaching, the question is no longer whether tensions exist—but how far they might escalate.

WardheerNews