Tuesday October 7, 2025
FILE PHOTO — Somali opposition lawmaker Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali opposition lawmaker Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame has called on the federal government to lead a peaceful political transition, warning that failure to manage power-sharing responsibly could push the country toward renewed instability.
Abdishakur, a member of the newly formed Council for the Somali Future, said Somalia faces a fragile political moment that demands compromise and strong institutional leadership. His remarks followed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s visit to Kismayo, which he said underscored the weakness of government institutions, including the cabinet, judiciary, and attorney general, in resolving political disputes through lawful means.
“The president should serve as the final arbiter when disagreements arise,” Abdishakur said. “When he accused Ahmed Madobe and then travelled to Kismayo, it should have been an act of reconciliation and understanding, not another visit that ends without results.”
The lawmaker urged the government to avoid repeating the disorder that marred the previous transition of power, which he said descended into political violence and deep mistrust among rival factions. He emphasized the need for a clearly managed handover to preserve stability and prevent renewed divisions within federal institutions.
Abdishakur’s comments come amid a flurry of regional diplomacy and mounting friction between Mogadishu and federal member states. Earlier this week, leaders from Jubaland and Puntland, along with prominent opposition figures, joined in Nairobi to form the
Somali Future Council, a new political bloc aiming to shape Somalia’s next phase of governance and advocate for a peaceful and inclusive transition.
The Nairobi conference, hosted on Oct. 2, brought together Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe), Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni, former prime ministers Hassan Ali Khayre and Said Shirdoon, and Member of Parliament Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame. The coalition unites the Somali Salvation Forum, a group of opposition politicians, with the two regional administrations, signalling a coordinated front against what they describe as Mogadishu’s increasingly unilateral approach to national affairs. In a joint resolution, the leaders pledged to hold a follow-up meeting inside Somalia to formalize the Council’s structure and define its role in shaping the country’s political roadmap.
The same week, Puntland and Somaliland delegations
met in Nairobi for their first face-to-face dialogue in years, culminating in a joint accord on Oct. 5 to strengthen cooperation on security, reconciliation, and cross-border trade. T
The overlapping Nairobi talks and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s simultaneous visit to Kismayo illustrate the widening divide between federal and regional leaders over the direction of Somalia’s political transition. The growing calls for a peaceful transition reflect wider concerns that Somalia’s fragile democratic progress could unravel if dialogue and compromise fail to prevail before the next electoral cycle.