MOGADISHU, May 15 – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is under growing pressure from opposition leaders who accuse him of abandoning national unity in favor of partisan politics following the launch of his new political party.
Sixteen prominent political figures, including former heads of state and government, released a joint statement Tuesday denouncing what they described as the president’s shift from a neutral constitutional role to leading a political project that risks deepening divisions across Somalia’s fragile federal system.
“Rather than fostering consensus on key national challenges, the president is now spearheading a political movement that sidelines rivals and centralizes power,” the group said.
The criticism comes just days after the inauguration of the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) in Mogadishu, where President Mohamud was elected chairman and declared a candidate in the next presidential race. The new party includes top federal officials and several allied regional leaders in its ranks.
Opposition figures, among them ex-president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and former prime ministers Mohamed Hussein Roble, Hassan Ali Khayre, Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke, and Abdi Farah Shirdon, warn that the JSP’s creation undermines the spirit of Somalia’s federal arrangement.
They also accused the presidency of using public resources to strengthen the party’s political machinery, alleging interference in state-level politics, particularly in the semi-autonomous Jubbaland region.
“We caution the president against destabilizing federal states. Political manipulation in Jubbaland and beyond threatens Somalia’s already fragile stability,” the statement read.
The group called on leaders of Galmudug, Hirshabelle, and Southwest to respect democratic norms and avoid supporting efforts to entrench federal power through party loyalty, especially as their own terms have expired.
While the federal government has promoted the JSP as a step toward long-awaited electoral reform and inclusive governance, critics say it reflects a strategy to consolidate control ahead of future elections and silence dissenting voices.
Puntland, Somalia’s northeastern federal member state, has already expressed disapproval of the party, signaling further strain between Mogadishu and regional administrations.
Somalia, which continues to battle security threats and unresolved constitutional questions, faces a crucial period as political alignments begin to take shape ahead of the 2026 elections.
