Leadership Without Vision: A Nation in Peril
Leadership, as David M. Cote eloquently asserts in Winning Now, Winning Later, demands a masterful balance between addressing immediate challenges and securing the future. It is a calling that requires foresight, humility, and a commitment to collective progress. Yet, under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Somalia’s Federal Government has veered dangerously off course. From grounding flights across central and southern Somalia to antagonizing Jubaland, his administration’s approach has been marked by reactionary decisions, political brinkmanship, and an unsettling disconnect from the realities of governance.
Grounding Flights: A Nation Strangled by Short-Sightedness
The Federal Government’s decision to ground flights to central and southern Somalia epitomized administrative recklessness. Intended to assert control over contested electoral processes, this measure disrupted vital economic activity, immobilized millions of citizens, and cut off critical humanitarian aid. Air travel is not a luxury in Somalia – it is a lifeline. By weaponizing this essential service, the government inflicted unnecessary hardship on its people, further alienating them from Mogadishu.
This decision, far from projecting authority, revealed desperation – a reactive move that laid bare the administration’s inability to think beyond immediate political skirmishes. It underscored a troubling gap between the government’s priorities and the nation’s pressing needs, leaving Somalia’s fragile economy even more vulnerable to collapse.
Jubaland: The Untold Strength of a People United
If the grounding of flights exposed administrative incompetence, the escalating tensions with Jubaland revealed the dangers of political arrogance. The Federal Government’s heavy-handed approach – issuing an arrest warrant for Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe and deploying troops to intimidate the region – highlighted a dangerous disregard for federalism. Jubaland, however, is not an isolated entity. Its people, deeply rooted in Somali history and culture, draw strength from enduring ties with neighboring Ethiopia and Kenya. These connections, forged through kinship, trade, and security cooperation, form a formidable network of influences that Mogadishu cannot afford to ignore.
President Mohamud’s underestimation of Jubaland’s resilience is a grave miscalculation. Should he persist in his confrontational approach, the region’s alliances with Ethiopia and Kenya could become a counterweight to his administration’s centralizing ambitions. Such a development would not only jeopardize Somalia’s federal framework but also risk destabilizing the broader Horn of Africa. Jubaland’s potential to galvanize regional support against Mogadishu underscores the need for diplomacy, humility, and genuine dialogue – qualities sorely lacking in the current administration.
The Mosque Speech: Hubris in the House of Worship
In what should have been a moment of unity and reflection, President Mohamud’s speech at Villa Somalia’s mosque during Friday prayers descended into a display of political contempt (quursi siyaasadeed) and ineptitude (damiinimo siyaasadeed). Rather than addressing the nation’s challenges with humility, the president used this sacred platform to belittle Jubaland’s leadership and distort the reality of his administration’s failures.
This misuse of a house of worship not only disrespected its sanctity but also alienated those seeking solace and guidance. The president’s remarks, bereft of accountability or reconciliation, exposed the arrogance underpinning his leadership. It was a squandered opportunity to mend fractured relationships and inspire hope. Instead, it became yet another instance of Mogadishu’s disconnection from the nation it seeks to govern.
Deflecting Responsibility: Blaming Neighbors for Domestic Chaos
In an increasingly troubling pattern, President Mohamud has sought to deflect blame for his administration’s shortcomings onto neighboring countries. Accusations that Ethiopia and Kenya are undermining Somalia’s sovereignty fail to consider the broader context. Both nations, with significant Somali populations, have extended refuge and integration opportunities to Somali people, treating them with dignity and respect. This solidarity starkly contrasts with the president’s narrative of interference and hostility.
What President Mohamud refuses to acknowledge is that Somalia’s sovereignty cannot be secured through deflection. The nation’s challenges are primarily rooted in decades of internal disarray, exacerbated by his administration’s mismanagement. By scapegoating external actors, the Federal Government perpetuates a cycle of stagnation, forsaking the opportunity to address the systemic issues that continue to hold Somalia back.
The Role of Misguided Advisors: Sanbaloolshe’s Parallel Reality
Among the president’s inner circle, Abdullahi Mohamed Ali, widely known as Sanbaloolshe, the Chief of NISA, epitomizes the dissonance at the heart of Somalia’s Federal Government. He operates as though he inhabits a parallel galaxy, detached from the political and social realities of a nation grappling with fragility. Sanbaloolshe’s rhetoric and actions reflect an inflated belief that history can be rewritten through force and ambition – a belief utterly devoid of wisdom or strategic foresight. His reliance on Egypt’s misguided support for Somalia’s unity underscores not only his detachment from reality but also his dangerous proclivity for short-term maneuvers that imperil Somalia’s stability and sovereignty.
Yet, his ambitions stretch beyond mere miscalculation. According to a credible source, Sanbaloolshe has reportedly stated that the Federal Government’s ultimate goal in Jubaland is to dismantle the traditional dominance of the Ogaden and Marehan clans and re-establish a Hawiye foothold in Ras Kamboni. This audacious agenda purportedly involves displacing Darod clans southward into northern Kenya while resettling Hawiye clans in the areas south of Kismayo. The objective? To fundamentally reshape the political and demographic landscape of Jubaland, tilting the region’s power dynamics in favor of the Federal Government’s allies.
This dangerous vision, cloaked in the language of reform, is a sinister blueprint for division and displacement. It risks igniting deeply entrenched clan rivalries, fracturing an already fragile federal structure, and undermining decades of painstakingly built social and political stability. Jubaland, a region that has long resisted centralized impositions, may view this as an existential threat – one that could provoke both internal uprisings and regional destabilization.
Even as he schemes to reshape Jubaland’s political fabric, Sanbaloolshe unabashedly accuses neighboring countries of undermining Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This hypocrisy, so stark and unashamed, mirrors the tactics of bygone imperial powers that justified interventions under the guise of security while engineering internal divisions to consolidate control. Sanbaloolshe’s posturing as a guardian of sovereignty while orchestrating a plan that would unravel Somalia’s social cohesion exposes the hollow foundation of his rhetoric.
What is even more troubling is the question of whether Sanbaloolshe acts alone. If his voice is indeed the president’s, if his ambitions are the administration’s ambitions, then this speaks to a leadership fundamentally misaligned with the principles of justice, federalism, and unity. To accuse Ethiopia and Kenya of meddling while proposing to dismantle the social fabric of Jubaland is not just hypocritical – it is a catastrophic betrayal of Somalia’s future and a dangerous game with regional security.
Egypt’s misguided involvement, framed as a champion of Somalia’s sovereignty, only adds fuel to this volatile mix. Sanbaloolshe’s reliance on such external backing, combined with his disregard for the intricate realities of clan dynamics and regional alliances, is a formula for disaster. Ethiopia and Kenya, both with vested interests in a stable Somalia, are unlikely to tolerate such provocations. This reckless strategy could draw the region into a wider geopolitical conflict, undoing years of fragile progress and exacerbating Somalia’s precarious state.
Sanbaloolshe’s actions and words, laden with arrogance and self-interest, epitomize the dangers of placing personal ambition above national welfare. His plans threaten to turn Jubaland into a powder keg, risking not just the collapse of Somalia’s federal structure but also the destabilization of the entire Horn of Africa.
A Nation Echoing Its Past: Lessons Unlearned
Opposition leader Abdirahman Abdishakur, a statesman whose political acumen reflects the leadership Somalis deeply desire, delivered a scathing critique of the Federal Government’s cyclical failures. “In 2021, 15 members of the House of the People were banned, and a similar action was taken today, with 15 MPs barred from participating in the House sessions. That same year, troops were deployed to the Gedo region, and today Raaskanbooni is being deployed. There is no leadership creativity based on wisdom, strategy, or vision – only shameless copying.”
Abdishakur’s words echo a broader sentiment of frustration among Somalis who yearn for innovative and accountable leadership. By recycling failed strategies of the past, President Mohamud’s administration has proven itself incapable of breaking the cycle of division and mistrust. Abdishakur’s critique serves as both a warning and a rallying cry, urging the nation to reject the inertia of repetition and demand leadership driven by vision, not vanity.
A Shadowy Network: Business Mafias and Political Decay
Adding to the nation’s challenges is the entrenchment of business mafias within the Federal Government. These profiteers prioritize personal wealth over national welfare, exploiting Somalia’s fragile progress for their gain. Instead of leveraging the hard-won advances of the past decade to build resilient institutions, the current administration seems intent on dismantling them, sacrificing long-term stability for short-term personal enrichment.
This unholy alliance erodes trust in governance and threatens to unravel the fragile threads holding Somalia together. Such corruption betrays the sacrifices of countless Somalis who have struggled to rebuild their nation and establish a framework for peace and prosperity.
A Crossroads of Redemption or Ruin
Somalia stands at a pivotal moment in its history. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s missteps – from grounding flights to antagonizing Jubaland and misusing sacred platforms—have fractured the nation’s fragile unity and jeopardized its federal structure. Yet within this crisis lies an opportunity for redemption. Leadership demands not only strength but also the humility to admit failure and the courage to change course.
To salvage his legacy and secure Somalia’s future, President Mohamud must abandon the politics of confrontation and embrace genuine reform. He must prioritize dialogue with regional leaders, rebuild trust, and commit to long-term nation-building. Somalia’s people deserve a leader who embodies humility, courage, and a commitment to collective progress. The question now is whether President Mohamud will rise to meet this challenge or remain trapped in the cycle of deflection, arrogance, and miscalculation.
The stakes could not be higher. His actions will determine not only the fate of his presidency but also the future of Somalia itself. The time for transformation is now, for the nation – and the region – cannot afford further failure.
Mohamud A. Ahmed – Cagaweyne
+251900644644
Editor’s note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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