Mogadishu (AX) — In a robust appeal to national stability, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Monday called out opposition leaders, accusing them of sowing seeds of discord instead of championing the nation’s developmental strides.
At the inauguration of a state-of-the-art hospital in Mogadishu, President Mohamud pushed back against his critics’ claims, dismissing them as deceptive and detrimental. “Politicians claiming the apocalypse is upon us, that Dante’s inferno is our destiny, are delusional and need help,” he quipped, confronting those alarmed by what they perceive as burgeoning authoritarianism.
Mohamud attributed much of the nation’s troubles to political grandstanding. “The true adversary in Somalia is the political class,” he remarked. “We should spotlight the milestones already achieved and the horizons yet to be explored, sharing these with the Somali populace.”
This retort comes in the wake of assertions made by Abdullahi Sheikh Hassan, a notable opposition figure, who alleged clandestine assembly of a 10,000-strong task force by Mohamud’s administration—purportedly aimed at neutralizing political adversaries. These claims, however, remain unverified, with the government yet to issue an official response, raising eyebrows and speculation.
As the 2026 elections loom, political friction is accelerating, with opposition factions and certain regional states like Northeastern State and Jubbaland boycotting the electoral commission’s preparatory efforts. Disputes over the electoral process have fermented substantial discord, further straining the fragile political fabric.
Opponents accuse President Mohamud of bypassing independent institutions and flouting legal norms to form an electoral commission perceived as compromised, an audacious effort to engineer a foregone electoral conclusion. This has prompted some to threaten parallel electoral processes, envisioning outsider-led consultations as a necessity.
The friction extends into economic domains as critics lambast Mohamud’s fiscal policies. They allege draconian taxation is stifling Mogadishu’s lifeline, epitomized by Bakara Market, a commercial epicenter ravaged by job cuts and economic turmoil. Business stakeholders lament oppressive tax regimes, censuring them for adverse economic reverberations.
Moreover, murmurings of favoritism echo darkly, with allegations pinpointing Mohamud’s allies as beneficiaries of governmental business endowments, thus exacerbating disparities. Contrarily, the President emphasizes Somalia’s ascending international profile, noting increased invitations to forums like the UN Security Council—a role it played reluctantly absent for years.
Further controversies embroil security agencies allegedly enmeshed in political intrigues, with allegations of the Somali National Army being commandeered to quash dissent rather than safeguarding national tranquility. Is this a government adrift in its own ambitions, or merely struggling against tides of an ever-tumultuous political climate?
The tensions are not merely a script of political theatre but rather a tragic narrative of unrealized potential. Yet, as one ponders the paradox of Somalia’s political landscape, it bears asking: Will proactive dialogue supplant acrimony, fostering a political environment of consensus and optimism, or will the nation remain anchored in antiquated antagonisms?
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring
