The United States has issued a serious warning following the outcomes of the latest National Consultative Council (NCC) meeting, where key federal member states—Jubaland and Puntland—were notably absent from the final communiqué.
The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs delivered a strong message to Somali leaders via a brief post on platform X (formerly Twitter), cautioning against attempts to centralize power and introduce major political reforms without inclusive national dialogue.
“All stakeholders must be involved in decisions regarding changes to Somalia’s federal system and electoral processes. Any decisions made without broad-based support will lack full legitimacy and could undermine efforts to address ongoing security challenges,” the U.S. official warned.
This statement comes amid efforts by the Federal Government of Somalia to revise the federal structure and overhaul the electoral system—moves that have raised concerns among some federal member states, opposition groups, and segments of civil society.
The international community has previously urged both the Somali Federal Government and the federal member states to resolve their disagreements on critical issues such as elections and the joint fight against Al-Shabaab through inclusive dialogue.
