Thursday August 13, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia can make meaningful progress only by replacing personality-driven and factional politics with a dependable system of institutions and national decision-making, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said.
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Addressing a graduation ceremony in Mogadishu on Wednesday, the president said political authority must be exercised through established institutions and procedures rather than concentrated in the hands of individuals. The event marked the completion of three courses by more than 500 students at the National Intelligence and Security Agency’s Institute of Security Studies.
“If we do not straighten out the country’s politics, if we do not know who is responsible for the country—not an individual, but the institution responsible for making decisions for the nation—and how those decisions are made, we cannot achieve progress,” he said.
Hassan Sheikh warned that the continued attachment of some politicians to factional interests has hindered efforts to define who holds authority and how decisions affecting the nation should be reached.
“I say to the Somali people: wake up and wake up. Create a system,” the president said. He acknowledged progress in the economy, education and other sectors, but said Somalia had yet to realize its full potential.
He advocated a political order built on institutions and consensus, stressing that the country’s affairs cannot be run through the personal decisions of individual leaders.
The president also described security as the foundation for advances in education, economic growth and social development. Addressing the graduates, he said Somalia’s greatest asset is not limited to its natural resources, buildings or weapons, but is rooted in the knowledge and capabilities of its people.
Hassan Sheikh congratulated the more than 500 graduates and commended them for investing in their knowledge and professional abilities through the three courses at the Institute of Security Studies.
He urged them to apply their training in service of Somalia’s security, stability and governance.
The president said national security institutions require personnel with sound knowledge, practical skills and professional competence to strengthen their performance. He also praised reforms at the institute, including upgrades to its curriculum, training programmes and academic standards.
Hassan Sheikh said the graduation represented more than a formal ceremony, expressing hope that the institute would continue to host training programmes, meetings and other activities supporting Somalia’s development.
