The UN Security Council is urging Somalia’s government and opposition to agree on a date for indirect elections, as recriminations and sporadic violence threaten to undermine the country’s delicate political process.

More than five weeks have gone by since President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and state leaders failed to reach an agreement on how to run the elections. Mohamed, known popularly as Farmaajo, says some regional leaders have sought to thwart the election process. But members of the opposition Council of Presidential Candidates say Mohamed is trying to hold on to power.

The constitutional crisis follows a challenging few months for people across the country. Cases of COVID-19 in Somalia spiked in February, and recent poor harvests have left 2.6 million people short of food, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. The al-Shabab armed group remains an ever-present security concern for civilians.

In this episode of The Stream we’ll look at the impact of the political standoff in Somalia, and what it means for people’s safety and security.