MOGADISHU, Somalia — September 2, 2026 — Internationally led efforts to bring Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubbaland President Ahmed Madobe to Mogadishu are reportedly nearing collapse over demands for international guarantees for a proposed electoral agreement, threatening attempts to resolve Somalia’s political standoff.
According to the latest report, the two regional leaders insist that international partners sign the agreement and that their role be clearly defined in the document. The Somali presidency reportedly maintains that guarantees are unnecessary.
The disagreement centres on provisions that appear to give international partners a role limited to facilitating negotiations. Puntland and Jubbaland want their involvement formally reflected in the agreement as part of the guarantees surrounding the deal.
The presidency, opposition representatives and international partners are reportedly broadly aligned on the draft’s wording and structure. However, the two regional administrations remain dissatisfied with the section addressing international involvement.
Their objections have become an obstacle to the diplomatic effort to bring both leaders to the capital. The report describes those efforts as close to breaking down, although it does not say negotiations have formally ended.
The latest negotiating positions have not been independently verified. The report does not identify the international partners expected to sign or specify the obligations they would assume.
Earlier efforts to resolve the deadlock
International partners have previously engaged Deni and Madobe directly in efforts to resolve disagreements over Somalia’s elections.
On May 18, Garowe Online reported that foreign diplomats held virtual talks with the opposition-aligned Future Council, with both regional presidents participating remotely. The discussions focused on securing an agreed electoral framework and encouraging continued dialogue between the federal government and its opponents.
Those talks followed another dispute over constitutional changes. Reuters reported in March that parliament had approved amendments that could extend the president’s term by a year and delay elections. Opposition lawmakers criticised the changes, while analysts questioned how they would apply to the incumbent administration.
Political tensions subsequently spilled into violence in Mogadishu. In June, government forces and opposition-aligned militias exchanged fire, forcing residents to flee affected neighbourhoods. The United States and Britain called for peaceful dialogue, Reuters reported.
Long-running disputes with Puntland and Jubbaland
Puntland’s confrontation with the federal government intensified in March 2024 after parliament approved disputed constitutional amendments.
The regional administration announced that it would act independently until a constitution was approved through a nationwide referendum in which Puntland participated. The federal government defended the amendments as necessary political reforms, while critics said they concentrated power in the presidency.
Relations with Jubbaland deteriorated later that year. Ahmed Madobe won another term in a November regional election that the federal government opposed, saying it had been conducted without federal involvement. Jubbaland subsequently announced the suspension of relations and cooperation with Mogadishu.
The dispute escalated into fighting between federal and Jubbaland forces at Ras Kamboni in December 2024, according to Reuters reporting that cited regional officials. The confrontation followed the contested election and the breakdown in relations between the two administrations.
The reported disagreement shows that agreement on electoral wording alone may be insufficient to secure Puntland and Jubbaland’s support. Their demand for international signatures places the guarantees surrounding the accord at the centre of negotiations.