Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, strongly denounced the allegations made by opposition leaders, saying they spread unwarranted terror and political unrest rather than focusing on the nation’s growth and development. The said accusations were denied in categorical terms by the President. The opposition leader was said to be unfit for rational existence and to be living in some sort of mental confusion, thus contributing to the whole picture of instability that flies in the face of his leadership.
While inaugurating a new hospital in Mogadishu, Hassan Sheikh denied accusations that under his regime, Somalia was coming to chaos, calling such statements old and dangerous. “Those politicians alleging disaster are at the apogee of insanity,” he stated, “and need treatment from mental illness.”
The comments were made in response to the recent accusations from opposition politician Abdullahi Sheikh Hassan that President Hassan Sheikh’s administration had secretly organized some special force that supposedly numbered as many as 10,000 soldiers meant to target opposition politicians. These statements from Hassan Sheikh were deemed a subtle response to the charges of political fear, as he never mentioned them directly. To date, the Somali government has not come up with any official statements neither confirming nor denying the special forces’ existence, and there are no independently verifiable sources that support the claims.
Political tensions grow against the backdrop of preparations for the 2026 elections. Besides the opposition parties, some regional states have struck courage to most hues of the federal government in its handling of the election process. Puntland and Jubbaland dreadfully opposed the election process by claiming, among other things, political and security challenges in relating to the federal government’s way of handling the election preparations. Besides, the opposition accused the President of working to circumvent the independent institutions and making legal changes in the design of an election commission—which, they see as illegal—with a goal of garnering a pre-determined selection outcome.
The opposition further blasted the government’s economic policies, notably their new tax system that they contend has crippled the businesses in Mogadishu. Traders protested in the streets of the city, complaining about the rise in tax rates that had put many out of work and made business difficult. They also accused the government of favoring certain businesses run by the political allies of the President. This has only widened the economic gaps and unequal distribution of business opportunities.
Nevertheless, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud insisted that Somalia is making substantial progress: “Every passing week has shown the global recognition of Somalia and all major invitations to big-world conferences, notably the United Nations Security Council, to which Somalia was absent for many years,” he noted. He further explained that the government had reckoned its intention to do development work for the nation and will maintain affairs of political stability and national security.