Somalia moves toward inclusive dialogue as president meets opposition bloc

The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, today hosted a luncheon in honor of members of the Future Forum who responded to the government’s consultation initiative launched on January 19, 2026.

The luncheon serves as a prelude to the upcoming National Consultative Conference, which the government plans to convene to deliberate on key national priorities. These include the country’s electoral process, national unity and cohesion, drought and humanitarian challenges, and the fight against Al-Shabaab.

The meeting was also attended by the Prime Minister of Somalia, Hamza Abdi Barre, members of the Council of Ministers, and various representatives from the Future Forum.

The luncheon is widely seen as a confidence-building step toward creating a formal platform where the concerns and grievances of opposition groups within the Future Forum can be heard and discussed, reinforcing a climate of political dialogue and consensus-building.