Mogadishu, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held a private meeting late on Sunday night in Mogadishu with former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a senior opposition figure, amid renewed calls for national political dialogue, officials said.
The meeting, whose agenda was not announced in advance, comes after a period of political estrangement and differing views between the two leaders, giving the talks added political significance.
In a statement, Ahmed's Himilo Qaran party said the discussions focused on the country's overall situation, including politics, security and the current phase of Somalia's state-building process.
The talks also emphasised the need for a broad-based national consultation and efforts to ease ongoing political tensions, the statement said.
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President Mohamud stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation among political leaders to achieve national unity and find lasting solutions to Somalia's challenges.
He also expressed readiness to convene a national consultative forum long demanded by opposition stakeholders, and urged Ahmed to play a prominent role in ensuring the success of such a dialogue, according to the party.
For his part, Ahmed said he was willing to support any initiative aimed at bringing Somalis together and resolving political disputes through genuine dialogue, compromise and consensus.
The meeting sends a signal to Somalia's political landscape of a possible thaw in relations and a growing recognition of the need for dialogue as the country faces complex political and security challenges.
