By Abdiaziz Hassan Giyaajo Amalo
Thursday September 17, 2026
Somalia’s political history repeatedly demonstrates the dangers of confronting communities rather than building political consensus with them. The current tensions between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s federal government and political and traditional leaders from Hiiraan raise questions about whether lessons from previous administrations are being repeated.
Recent developments in Hiiraan have intensified political disagreements surrounding the future leadership of Hirshabelle. Hawadle political leaders and traditional elders have expressed grievances over the distribution of political power and the future leadership of the regional administration. On September 11, 2026, Hirshabelle Vice President Yusuf Ahmed Hagar Dabageed publicly accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of failing to honor an understanding concerning Hawadle participation in the leadership of Hirshabelle. These are allegations made by Dabageed and other politicians including member of parliaments.
The dispute has since moved beyond individual politicians. Traditional leaders, Deputy speaker of the upper house and members of parliament, and community representatives have gathered in Beledweyne to discuss the political situation. Ugaas Yusuf Ugaas Hassan called for collective consultation and emphasized that the community would determine its response. At the same time, Dabageed stated that Hiiraan’s grievances were directed at both the federal government and the Hirshabelle administration, while emphasizing that the objective is necessarily to reject the Somali government whose term expired May 15,2026.
This distinction is important. Political disagreement with the federal government should automatically be interpreted as opposition to the Somali state.
A functioning federal system depends upon negotiation, representation, constitutional mechanisms, and political accommodation. When communities believe that agreements have been abandoned or that their political interests are being ignored, tensions can become increasingly difficult to manage.
The current situation also carries historical significance. Successive Somali administrations have struggled with relations between the federal government and Hiiraan. Political disputes over representation, federalism, and the structure of Hirshabelle have repeatedly generated frustration among local communities. The danger for any president is to interpret political grievances as merely an obstacle to be overcome rather than as a problem requiring dialogue.
The experience of Somalia’s recent political history suggests that political authority cannot be sustained indefinitely through confrontation. Government institutions may possess security forces and constitutional authority, but durable political stability requires legitimacy and cooperation from the communities being governed.
The developments in Hiiraan therefore represent more than a disagreement over one regional election. They raise a broader question about political strategy: Will the current administration resolve its differences with Hiiraan through negotiation, or will it repeat patterns that have contributed to confrontation between previous governments and the region?
In June 2026, the federal government itself called for an immediate ceasefire after deadly inter-clan violence in Jalalaqsi district, demonstrating the continuing importance of political and community reconciliation in Hiiraan.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is still Somalia’s sitting president, according to the federal government’s official website. However, the political crisis surrounding his administration has become increasingly contentious nationally, including disputes over constitutional changes and the electoral process.
For Hiiraan, the central issue is therefore not simply who occupies Villa Somalia or who leads Hirshabelle. It is whether Somalia’s political leadership can establish a relationship with Hiiraan based on consultation, mutual commitments, representation, and respect for legitimate local grievances.
History provides a warning: when Hassan Sheikh repeatedly confront the same communities over political representation, he risks turning a temporary political disagreement into a lasting crisis of trust.
The lesson for the current administration is straightforward. Political power can compel compliance for a period, but reconciliation and political legitimacy are what create lasting stability.
Abdiaziz Hassan Giyaajo Amalo
