Hassan

In 2026, Somalia's political debate is increasingly focused on how President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is managing three linked challenges: a major constitutional transition, preparations for elections in the run-up to 2026, and the pressure of fighting al-Shabaab while maintaining governance in Mogadishu. Much of the year's attention has turned to talks between the presidency, opposition figures, and the National Consultative Council, as well as disputes in parliament over proposed constitutional amendments and the timing of…

Somalia: Hassan Sheikh’s 2019 Support for Jubaland Recalled Amidst Current Rejection of Southwest Vote MOGADISHU, Somalia — A political letter from 2019 has reentered Somalia’s public debate, drawing attention to the strikingly different positions President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has taken before and after returning to power. The document, a formal message of congratulations, records Mohamud—then a prominent opposition leader—welcoming the re-election of Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe. At the time, the federal government…

MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has launched a forceful defense of one-person, one-vote elections, rejecting calls for a return to indirect voting and arguing that the country has already moved past the old approach. Speaking to the nation, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said past understandings have already laid out the electoral roadmap, including how committees should be formed and what rules should govern the process. He added that some politicians have chosen to step away from commitments they signed. “If you…

Thursday March 19, 2026 - Baidoa (AX) — Southwest State President Abdiasis Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen on Wednesday accused Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of stalling regional elections since 2022, sharpening an increasingly public split between Baidoa and Mogadishu. At a press conference in Baidoa, Laftagareen said leaders of federal member states had made repeated attempts to organize their own ballots but were blocked by the federal leadership. “In September 2022, all the regional state leaders were present…

Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting at the Presidential Palace that formally opened a consultative conference with leaders of the Somali Future Council, launching talks aimed at resolving disputes over elections and constitutional reform. The government-opposition dialogue — expected to run several days — begins amid rising political tension and with fewer than three months left in the government’s term, a compressed timeline that has…

Qatar’s emir backs Somalia’s security, territorial integrity in call with President Mohamud MOGADISHU — Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Monday reaffirmed Doha’s support for Somalia’s security and territorial integrity during a phone call with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, according to Somali and Qatari officials. Officials said the leaders reviewed recent developments and discussed efforts to strengthen security, stabilize the country and preserve the unity of Somali territory. Sheikh Tamim conveyed…

Jubbaland’s Ahmed Madobe warns Somalia’s president against centralizing power at Kismayo forum KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubbaland State President Ahmed Mohamed Islam, widely known as Ahmed Madobe, used the opening days of the Somali Future Council conference in Kismayo to warn President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud against consolidating power in ways he once opposed, sharpening a national debate over governance and inclusion. Speaking Thursday at the gathering, which he said was convened to address Somalia’s broader political challenges,…

Somalia on the Brink of Fragmentation Under Hassan Sheikh Amid Escalating Federal Rift MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s fragile federal system faces a fresh test after Jubaland moved to strip the words “federal member” from its official title, a direct challenge to Mogadishu that echoes an earlier rupture by Puntland State and deepens a nationwide constitutional and political rift under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The move, announced Sunday by Jubaland regional Speaker Sheikh Abdi Mohamed, follows months of acrimony over…

Somali president holds consultation with leading Quran scholar in Mogadishu Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met prominent Quran reciter and scholar Sheikh Abdirashid Sheikh Ali Sufi in Mogadishu on Friday, in what Villa Somalia called an important consultation and information-sharing session. The discussions focused on mobilizing public awareness around national priorities and strengthening the role of religious leaders in peace-building. The meeting underscored the government’s outreach to clerics as it pursues…

Somalia’s Seat at East Africa’s Table: Why Mogadishu’s New EALA Delegation Matters A quiet milestone in Mogadishu In a bright room at the presidential palace in Mogadishu, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud welcomed Somalia’s first full slate of lawmakers to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). The ceremony, following a parliamentary vote that selected nine representatives, was deliberately understated — no brass bands, no triumphal headlines. Yet the significance should not be missed. Less than a year after its…