By Axadle Editorial Board
Folks, it’s been a heck of a week in Somalia’s political scene. The Southwest State is heating up, and tensions are bubbling right under the surface. Everyone’s pointing at Ethiopia, but let’s be real; the actual drama is unfolding much closer to home. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sent a top-tier team to Baidoa—fronted by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and featuring NISA boss Abdullahi Mohamed Ali [Sanbaloolshe]. Unfortunately, they returned to Mogadishu dragging two hefty political losses that have further entangled Villa Somalia’s maneuvers in the Southwest. Meanwhile, there’s a hint of a deadlock in President Hassan’s reform quest.
Blows for Hassan Sheikh
Just before the delegation hit the road, President Hassan Sheikh convened with some Southwest State opposition figures, handing them the go-ahead to challenge President Abdiaziz Laftagareen’s regional authority. This maneuver was a move to unsettle Laftagareen’s grasp on power.
Word from the grapevine indicates Sanbaloolshe went with a specific mission: deliver a straight-up message from President Hassan to Laftagareen. But Laftagareen reportedly swatted it away, throwing a spotlight on the widening rift between regional and federal factions.
Engaging with the Southwest opposition before dispatching Prime Minister Hamza hints that President Hassan has initiated a subtle confrontation. Furthermore, Sanbaloolshe’s mission suggested that the President might not entirely trust his Prime Minister to rein in Laftagareen.
Deadlock in Hassan’s Gambit
Insiders whisper that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is keen as mustard to gather the National Consultative Council (NCC) in Mogadishu this month. Villa Somalia sees this gathering as vital for pushing its agenda, especially the much-touted one-person, one-vote elections—a plan most regional chieftains view as political hara-kiri.
During a huddle with his political brain trust, the President allegedly threatened to adopt a more aggressive approach if regional leaders boycott the upcoming NCC meeting—a veiled threat not lost on anyone.
Now, as Hassan’s administration hits its midpoint, political turbulence is the new normal for the next two years. What initially seemed like political calm is giving way to rising tensions, fueled by the intricate dance of regional power tussles and impending national elections.
In the coming weeks and months, expect those fissures in Somalia’s political fabric to gape wider. Hassan faces ever-growing challenges, and how he steers through these stormy seas will dictate not just his tenure’s fate but also Somalia’s fragile stability. As the political landscape continues shifting, the country’s at a pivotal point, and today’s decisions will echo into the future.
This editorial outlines the unified perspective of the Axadle Editorial Board and doesn’t necessarily mirror the views of individual contributors or affiliated outfits.
