Somali opposition wants president out of office after May 15

PRETORIA, April 22. /TASS/. Opposition forces that make up the Somali Future Council (SFC) oppose the idea of extending President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s mandate by another year and refused to recognize him as the legitimate head of the state after May 15. "Any attempt to extend the mandate would be unconstitutional," the opposition’s statement was quoted as saying by Mogadishu-based Shabelle Media Network. Lawmaker Ga'ma Diiddo, who took part in the SFC leadership’s meeting, said the opposition will not recognize Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the legitimate president after his term expires on May 15. Former Somali President (in 2009-2012) Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said extending the presidential mandate by another year would be a grave mistake leading to further destabilization. "There can be no one person saying alone that I will stay until 2027. That is shameful and unacceptable," Sheikh Sharif was quoted as saying by the Hiiraan online news portal. The Somali Future Council, established in October 2025, brings together a number of leading opposition parties and prominent non-party political figures, including two ex-presidents and three former prime ministers. It also includes the heads of two Somali states, Jubaland and Puntland. Last month, the federal parliament of Somalia approved amendments to the country’s constitution, including those extending the presidential and parliamentary terms from four years to five. The government believes that the current president’s term should be automatically extended until May 2027. The opposition cites the principle of non-retroactivity and demands that the president leave his post in May 2026. The political crisis is made worse by the fact that the current federal parliament’s term expired on April 14, 2026.