State Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Member of Somali Federal Parliament, former Chief of Staff of Somali President, former IBMer and lecturer at SIDAM
Mogadishu, Somalia
Joined April 2009
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I had a constructive meeting with H.E. Diego Martínez Belío, Spain’s State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs, on the sidelines of the Global Security Forum in Doha, Qatar. We discussed strengthening Somalia–Spain relations, expanding practical cooperation and advancing political consultations on issues of mutual interest.
Announcing an election timetable does not close the door to political dialogue. Electoral preparation and constructive engagement can proceed together. Opposition groups should bring forward specific concerns and practical proposals on participation, transparency and electoral safeguards. Rejecting the schedule outright offers citizens no workable alternative. Somalia needs a credible process that addresses concerns while allowing its institutions to fulfil their responsibilities.
Objecting to the announcement of an election timetable does not answer the legal obligation behind it. The Electoral Commission has cited Article 18(2), requiring parliamentary election dates to be announced 180 days before polling. Political disagreements deserve serious engagement, but they do not, by themselves, suspend statutory duties. Those challenging the announcement should identify the legal breach and pursue their objections through the appropriate institutions.
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Prez Hassan Sheikh’s Own Words Challenge His Unilateral Approach to Somalia’s Elections
The attached tweet and the accompanying video, posted on 3 January 2021, are perhaps the clearest illustration of the contradiction between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s position on elections when he was in opposition and his approach today.
International partners who care about stability and democratic governance in Somalia must discourage his unilateral actions. Otherwise, his actions risk plunging Somalia into further instability.
In the attached video, @HassanSMohamud, then an opposition leader and former president, is speaking at a forum organized by the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (@HIPSINSTITUTE) in Garowe on 29 December 2020.
I personally invited him to the forum during my last week as Executive Director of the Institute.
What makes this video particularly important is that Hassan Sheikh himself added the English translation to his remarks.
In 2020, he insisted that Somalia’s elections must be based on an agreed electoral law and an agreed electoral management process. In his own words, an agreement based on #Wadatashi and #WadaOgol must be reached.
He translated these two principles as “reaching consensual agreement as a result of wide consultations.”
Yet today, as his speech last night made clear, President Hassan Sheikh is rejecting the very principles he advocated when he was in opposition.
What was essential for Somalia’s stability and democratic governance in 2020 remains equally essential in 2026. These principles cannot change simply because the president has moved from opposition to power.
Somalia needs elections based on consultation, consensus and agreed rules, not unilateral decisions by the incumbent.
@RTErdogan @HakanFidan @US2SOMALIA @AsstSecStateAF @kajakallas
Amazing Som Souk Expo 2026! #TikTok tiktok.com/t/ZPLBsNyWR/
At the third edition of EACON in Mogadishu, I emphasised that Somalia’s EAC membership must deliver tangible benefits for our people: wider markets for businesses, stronger institutions and better opportunities for young people. Deepening integration requires coordinated action on treaty domestication, trade competitiveness and human capital development. Our progress must be measured by improvements in people’s lives. #EACON2026
Somalia approaches the EAC with ambition and responsibility. Our entrepreneurial talent, maritime access and productive potential can strengthen the wider Community. Realising that promise requires peace, good neighbourliness and partnerships grounded in mutual respect. The 3rd EACON conference should advance practical priorities with clear responsibilities, realistic timelines and measurable results for our citizens and businesses. #EACON2026
Warm congratulations to H.E. Dr. Gedion Timothewos on your reappointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Wishing you every success as you continue to serve your country and advance its diplomatic engagement.
Across participating districts in Hirshabelle and Galmudug, Somali citizens are exercising their right to directly choose those who will represent them at local and State level. Despite naysayers who question the value of these elections, expanding meaningful citizen participation remains an important part of strengthening accountable institutions and bringing government closer to the people it serves.
Productive Meeting on Somalia at the Turkish House in New York, on the margins of #UNGA81, with Türkiye, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
I briefed partners on Somalia's political and security progress, including our first direct "one person, one vote" elections, and on what is needed to protect these gains. Somalia is ready to lead. 🇸🇴
At the UN Security Council’s high-level discussion on AI and international security, I welcomed the remarkable progress in artificial intelligence. We should encourage the progress AI makes possible, confront its misuse and ensure its benefits reach countries and communities that have too often been left behind. No country can manage these challenges alone. Somalia stands ready to work with partners on a future in which innovation serves human dignity, protects international peace and helps narrow the inequalities that already divide our world. youtu.be/HGkeWL68qXc?is=xy86… via @YouTube
We deeply appreciate the State of Qatar’s steadfast and principled support for Somalia. This valued solidarity reflects the strength of our fraternal relations and our shared commitment to Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, security, and prosperity. Stable and united Somalia contributes the stability of the wider region.
Excerpts from the speech delivered by His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, during the General Debate of 81st. session of the United Nations General Assembly:
“In brotherly Somalia, we reiterate our firm support for its sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity."
#MOFAQatar #UNGA81 #QatarAtUN
Congratulations for the elected MPs.
Fake news
BREAKING: Mogadishu Ready to Trade Las Anod for Talks With Somaliland
#Somalia’s Foreign Affairs Minister @AliOmarMP has reportedly said Mogadishu “separated Las Anod from #Somaliland” and could now “return it,” apparently in exchange for restarting talks with #Hargeisa.
If true, the message is striking: #Mogadishu may be willing to abandon the very forces it backed in Las Anod just to get Somaliland back to the negotiating table.
Somaliland should not take the bait.
NO TALKS WITH SOMALIA. Full stop.
Somaliland does not need #Mogadishu’s permission, mediation or political bargaining.
The focus should be clear: recognition, security, economic development and strategic partnerships.
Let Mogadishu negotiate with itself. #Somaliland should move forward.
This is fake news
🚨 BREAKING: Somalia’s Foreign Affairs Minister has reportedly said that Mogadishu “separated Las Anod from Somaliland” and could “return it” to Somaliland, while declaring the FGS ready for talks with Hargeisa.
The statement exposes just how desperate Mogadishu is to restart talks with the Republic of Somaliland. It is apparently willing to abandon the very militias and political forces it has backed in Las Anod if doing so brings Somaliland back to the negotiating table.
The Somaliland government should not fall for these political manoeuvres.
NO TALKS WITH SOMALIA. Full stop.
Somaliland does not need Mogadishu’s permission, mediation or political bargaining. Whether Las Anod ultimately returns or does not is increasingly irrelevant to Somaliland’s future.
In my view, the government should designate Caynabo as the regional capital, consolidate Somaliland’s institutions and security there, and move forward.
Somaliland’s priorities should be recognition, economic development, security and strategic partnerships with the outside world… not another endless round of negotiations with Mogadishu.
Somalia’s greatest asset is the confidence of its own people. Somalis from the diaspora are returning with capital, skills and ideas opening businesses, creating jobs and connecting Somalia with African and global markets. From new cafés and companies to major real-estate developments, this investment demonstrates what becomes possible when improved security is matched by entrepreneurial energy.
economist.com/middle-east-an…
