Somalia president’s policies have failed the country, says academic

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – A prominent Somali professor has issued a sharp public rebuke of Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, warning that his administration’s policies have failed the country and accusing him of presiding over a political collapse that is pushing Somalis back toward tribal and regional allegiances.

Afyare Elmi delivered the warning in an open letter posted to X on Monday, framing it as a direct appeal to the president to change course before, in his words, the country falls apart.

“Almost a Full House” in 2022

Elmi opened his letter by recalling the breadth of political support present at Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s inauguration in the Halane area of Mogadishu.

“On May 16, 2022, you assumed power with an almost full house. Only Somaliland, which has been seeking international recognition, and the extremist groups, which have been fighting the government, were not in the Halane tent. The rest were present at your inauguration,” Elmi wrote.

That coalition, he said, has since collapsed.

A Coalition in Retreat

“Fast forward to today: the institutions are out of mandate, and you have lost many of the people and groups that were in the Halane tent in 2022,” Elmi wrote, adding that most of the politicians who backed the president’s 2022 victory — including figures from the national opposition, Puntland and Jubaland — are no longer part of the government.

He pointed to specific flashpoints across the federal map:

• Southwest State is experiencing violent conflict, which Elmi attributed to “a poorly conceived and executed transition.”
• The principle of “do no harm,” which he described as foundational, has “been violated in a big way.”
• Galmudug and Hirshabelle are, in his words, “ticking time bombs that could explode in any direction.”

“Mr. President, your policies have failed the country, and as a result, Somalis are now aligning with regional geopolitics along tribal and regional lines,” Elmi wrote.

Elmi’s Prescription: Talks, Not Rhetoric

Elmi argued that the way out of the crisis is for the president to recognize the danger the country faces and adopt what he called a pragmatic approach to resolving outstanding disputes “before it is too late.” He said the minimum the Somali public should expect is a credible and competitive political process open to all the actors who were present in 2022.

“The time for empty rhetoric and gerrymandering or power-grabbing is over,” he wrote. “It is time to reach a political agreement with the opposition and reconcile with your opponents, both at the state and national levels. You must also return to the dispensation processes that Somalis have known and relied upon in the past.”

He closed with a stark warning: “Otherwise, Somalia risks disintegration under your leadership, and such a legacy would be an unbearable burden to bear.”

The letter lands as Somalia is contending in real time with escalating political disputes between the federal government in Mogadishu, several regional state administrations, and clan constituencies across the country.

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