The federal government of Somalia commenced a series of high-level consultations aimed at fostering national unity and addressing the current pressing challenges.

The ministerial committee on dialogue on Tuesday in a press release revealed it has commenced its first meeting with key civil society stakeholders. The meeting follows the January 19th announcement that is set to streamline a pathway towards the much-awaited National Dialogue Forum set for February 1st, 2026. The dialogue is also set to bridge the rift between the Federal Government of Somalia and the Council for the Future of Somalia.

This will also ensure that all political actors are heard before a final decision is adopted for the Federal Republic of Somalia. The first round of the consultations that were conducted by the Ministerial Committee on Dialogue involved the Umbrella of the Civil Society Organizations, the Union of Somali Religious Organizations, and the Union of Somali Religious Leaders.

The committee acknowledged what it termed as constructive gratitude and valuable advice from the sitting and noted the government intends to fully include non-political actors in the state-building process. The committee has built its discussion structure under 5 major pillars, which will also form part of the conversation in the coming national engagement in February.

The discussions will address strengthening the cohesion of the Somali state, intensive focus on the ongoing fight against Al-Shabaab, finalizing the long-awaited federal constitution, and developing a roadmap for the transparent and inclusive election, which is the bone of contention among the political players in Somalia.

By initiating this dialogue, the government seeks to build a national platform (Gogol wada-hadal qaran) to resolve internal political friction. This initiative comes at a pivotal moment for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration.