MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal authorities have tightened security across the capital as opposition groups ready demonstrations in approved locations, deepening a political standoff over the country’s electoral future. Security sources said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has held consultations with senior security officials and directed the deployment of additional forces along major roads in Mogadishu. On Wednesday morning, the leadership of the Somali National Army (SNA) also met with logistics officials as part…

AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State State of Somalia of Somalia on Thursday said Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is staying in office illegally, arguing that his four-year presidency ended on May 15 after the mandates of Somalia’s federal institutions expired. The accusation came in a communique released after a cabinet meeting in Garowe, which Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni chaired. According to Puntland State, Mohamud’s term expired on May 15, 2026, while the Federal Parliament’s mandate ended on April 14, 2026. The…

MOGADISHU, Somalia, May 17 – Former Somali president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has launched a sharp attack on Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing him of trampling on the constitution after comments that suggested his mandate would run until May 15, 2027. Sharif warned that Somalia was drifting into a perilous political moment and urged leaders to reach a broad agreement on how elections should be held, instead of what he described as efforts to prolong the government’s time in office. “It is unfortunate that someone who has twice…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Puntland State President Siciid Cabdullahi Deni on Friday delivered a blistering rebuke of what he called the “term-ended Somali president” Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing him of pushing Somalia “in the wrong direction” and endangering the country’s federal system and unity. Addressing reporters in Mogadishu, Deni said he had been waiting for May 15, 2026, and argued that the country’s political standoff had now reached a stage where urgent action was needed to avert institutional breakdown and the…

MOGADISHU, May 16 - Somalia’s political crisis deepened on Saturday as term-ended President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Turkey’s ambassador just hours after talks collapsed over the question of his expired mandate, a move viewed by some as an effort to show he still commands international support. The meeting at the Villa Somalia presidential palace with Ambassador Alper Aktaş followed a failed attempt by opposition leaders and regional states to reach common ground at the UN-protected Halane compound on Mohamud’s tenure,…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sunday cast doubt on the opposition’s decision to organize a planned protest in Mogadishu on the same day direct local elections were underway in SouthWest state and talks were scheduled in the capital. Speaking on the country’s political and security climate, Hassan Sheikh congratulated South West State residents for what he described as their calm participation in Sunday morning’s “one person, one vote” polls across several districts. He described the vote as…

By Khadar AfrahSaturday May 9, 2026 In Mogadishu’s Warlaliska neighbourhood on the evening of 6 May 2026, gunfire from federal government forces cut down civilians in a clash that had nothing to do with Al-Shabaab. The violence erupted during the government’s own land clearance drive — a wave of forced removals from public and private property that has swept across the capital in recent weeks. Among the dead was three-year-old Musamil Yusuf Osman. Casualties were reported on both sides. Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is quietly preparing to push elections ahead in three allied regional states before opening broader talks on Somalia’s federal vote, according to sources close to his political circle. During a private meeting earlier this week with three of his main political allies, the president reportedly laid out a plan to first lock in leadership in Galmudug, Hirshabeelle, and Southwest State. Sources said it was the second time in recent weeks that Mohamud has advanced the same…

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…

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…