US Issues Strongest Public Warning Against Force on Protesters; Washington Pushes May 13 Mediation Talks — FGS Denies

On May 12, 2026, three days before Somalia's constitutional deadline, the United States issued one of its strongest public warnings yet against the use of force on opposition demonstrators. US Chargé d'Affaires Justin Davis told Dawan Africa that violence against peaceful demonstrators was 'never acceptable,' urging Somalia's political leaders to pursue dialogue and compromise. Davis cautioned that continued political instability could harm Somalia's international partnerships, reaffirming US priorities including counterterrorism, governance, economic cooperation, and regional stability. Washington was reported to be pressuring both the federal government and opposition leaders to enter mediation, with talks allegedly scheduled for May 13 inside the heavily fortified Halane compound at Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport — the first formal US mediation effort in Somalia's intensifying political dispute. President Mohamud and PM Hamza Abdi Barre were reported as the FGS representatives; the opposition Somali Future Council, including Puntland, would represent the opposition side. However, Somalia's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Ba'ad denied the reports, saying there were no plans for a US-hosted meeting on May 13. The warning followed a turbulent 48 hours in Mogadishu during which one protester was killed by security forces in Daynile on May 11 (confirmed by the Banadir Regional Police Commissioner), Somali authorities deployed thousands of troops, tanks, and armored vehicles to prevent opposition demonstrations on May 10, and Turkish F-16s overflew the capital in a show of force for the FGS. With Mohamud's term expiring on May 15 and no mediated agreement in place, Somalia's Mogadishu-based foreign partners were visibly alarmed.