MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s growing political rift is raising fresh alarms that a drawn-out fight over the country’s electoral system could erode hard-won security gains and complicate the campaign against al-Shabab, according to analysts and political observers.
The latest unease comes after reports that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has obtained a one-year extension to his mandate, a development that has reportedly deepened friction between the federal government, opposition figures, and several federal member states.
While the government has stood by its political course, opposition leaders say changes to the voting process have been pushed through without broad agreement. They warn the impasse could spiral into another political crisis at a moment when Somalia is already contending with serious security threats.
The dispute is unfolding as government forces press ahead with military operations against al-Shabab, the al-Qaida-linked militant group that has waged an insurgency in Somalia for more than a decade. Security specialists caution that extended political infighting could divert attention from counterterrorism efforts and give the militants room to exploit divisions at the top of the state.
Analysts have also expressed concern over reports that some Somali National Army units have been shifted away from frontline missions and assigned to duties tied to the domestic political standoff, a change they say could ease pressure on al-Shabab.
Such redeployments, observers note, could also increase the burden on troops serving with the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), including contingents from neighboring countries.
Opposition leaders have further accused the federal government of deploying state security agencies against political opponents and federal member states, including Jubaland, Puntland State, and Southwest State. Similar allegations have surfaced during earlier political disputes involving former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire.
The federal government has not publicly responded to the latest accusations.
AXADLETM
