Somali lawmaker warns President Mohamud over Galmudug election tensions

Thursday May 28, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Saadiq Omar Hassan Joon, a Somali lawmaker and former Banadir police chief, has cautioned President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud against meddling in the coming election in Galmudug, as political tensions sharpen in Dhusamareb.

Writing on Facebook on Wednesday, Saadiq Joon linked peace in Dhusamareb, the Galmudug capital, with calm in Mogadishu’s Wardhigley district, home to the presidential palace.

“Oday Hassan, the peace in Dhusamareb and the peace in Wardhigley are interconnected, you know,” Saadiq Joon wrote.

The remarks come as Galmudug moves toward a closely watched presidential vote and as fault lines widen between President Ahmed Abdi Kariye QoorQoor and political figures aligned with the ruling Justice and Unity Party JSP.

Saadiq Joon recently traveled to Dhusamareb, where QoorQoor is currently based. The Galmudug president has said certain groups are attempting to create obstacles for his administration.

According to reports, JSP officials have said the party will not put forward QoorQoor as its candidate in the Galmudug presidential race. Instead, party insiders are said to be rallying behind Liban Ahmed Hassan.

Political sources say JSP wants the electoral committee, party officials and the party’s presidential candidate to be in Dhusamareb before June 4 for a formal announcement ceremony.

The standoff has prompted concern from civil society groups, which warn that the Galmudug election could inflame instability if political actors fail to find common ground.

Civil society organizations have called on all sides to pursue a peaceful vote, avoid confrontation and respect Galmudug’s political institutions.

The tensions in Galmudug are unfolding against a broader backdrop of national disputes in Somalia over elections, constitutional reforms and the division of authority between the federal government and regional administrations.