Hiiraan Online

Mogadishu (HOL) — Former Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble on Thursday accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of using clan identity to justify staying in office, warning that such rhetoric threatens Somalia’s fragile democracy and risks fueling new political instability.

At a press conference in Mogadishu, Roble alleged that President Hassan has repeatedly invoked his clan roots in Mogadishu as a reason not to relinquish power.

The dispute comes as Somalia nears the end of the government’s four-year mandate without an inclusive electoral framework in place. Opposition figures warn that the process unfolding in Mogadishu looks less like a national consensus and more like an election designed by a “select group,” which they warn could weaken state institutions and national unity.

Roble, a leading voice in the opposition National Salvation Forum, said he and other politicians met with the president five times in recent months to resolve disputes over constitutional amendments and elections. Each time, the talks collapsed. Roble blamed that failure squarely on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing him of refusing to make genuine political compromises.

President Hassan, speaking on Wednesday in Dhusamareb, the capital of Galmudug state, defended his administration, saying opposition figures are already represented in parliament, which approved the disputed constitutional changes. The president went further, arguing that the real problem lies not in Villa Somalia but in an opposition bloc that lacks a common vision. He contrasted today’s fragmented alliance with the coalition he joined in 2022, saying it is now scattered and directionless.

“The opposition I was part of in 2022 and the one that exists today are two different things,” Hassan said. “There is no unifying vision. Everyone is going in a different direction, and that does not lead to progress.”

Hassan reiterated a central theme of his presidency: the need to finish Somalia’s long-stalled constitution and introduce a one-person, one-vote system. Both were flagship promises of his 2022 campaign, and he framed them as the foundation for a more accountable state. “We must overcome the current challenges, such as completing the constitution and returning power to the people,” he said, presenting the reforms as a way to move Somalia beyond endless political bargaining.

Hassan also called for Somalia to move away from politics dominated by personalities and vested interests, urging the formation of strong political parties built on principles and vision.

He did not address the issue of term extensions in Dhusamareb, instead faulting opposition leaders for obstructing consensus and prolonging the political deadlock. Puntland, Jubbaland, and the Somali Salvation Forum have openly rejected the federal government’s election roadmap, accusing Mogadishu of unilateral decision-making without broad agreement.

Roble, however, accused the federal government of tolerating “illegal term extensions” for several federal member state presidents who remain in office beyond their constitutional mandates.

“Some state presidents have been granted unlawful extensions without following either federal or regional constitutional procedures,” he said.

The National Consultative Council previously pledged to hold state presidential elections on November 30 to align federal and regional timelines. But in states where mandates have already expired, no elections have taken place.

Somalia’s political uncertainty has raised concerns among international partners, who have urged compromise to preserve stability. Observers warn that unresolved disputes over constitutional changes and elections could reignite tensions, undermining recent security gains against al-Shabab and slowing fragile state-building efforts.