How the International Community and Nepotism are Fueling Somalia’s Security Collapse

How the International Community and Nepotism are Fueling Somalia’s Security Collapse

The political reality in Somalia has transformed into an unconstitutional crisis that can no longer be ignored by the outside world. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s legal mandate to govern has officially expired, rendering his ongoing occupation of Villa Somalia completely illegitimate. Instead of initiating an inclusive, democratic transition, his administration has deliberately frozen dialogue with opposition coalitions. By choosing to rule through executive decrees rather than national consensus, an expired regime is holding the stability of the entire Horn of Africa hostage to secure its own political survival.

This systematic erasure of democracy has aggressively spread from the capital into the federal member states. In critical regions such as Galmudug, Hirshabelle, and the South West state, the federal government has completely hijacked local governance. Transparent regional elections have been aggressively replaced by forced political appointments, where unvetted puppet candidates are jammed into power by federal decree. This heavy-handed destruction of federalism has not only alienated local populations but has fractured the institutional trust required to keep the country unified.

From Counter-Terrorism to Clan Cartel: The Subversion of Public Trust

The geopolitical consequences of this political desperation are manifesting as a catastrophic security vacuum on the ground. In a shocking betrayal of both Somali citizens and foreign allies, elite, internationally-trained counter-terrorism units—funded by foreign taxpayers to eradicate Al-Shabaab—have been entirely politicized. Hassan Sheikh has actively pulled these highly specialized forces from the counter-terrorism frontlines and weaponized them in the streets of Mogadishu to hunt down, intimidate, and suppress his domestic political rivals, leaving the nation utterly defenseless against actual terrorist networks.

Simultaneously, the federal government is deliberately provoking artificial crises in stable territories like Puntland and Jubaland to break any regional resistance to its illegal overreach. In the South West state, the intentional exclusion and disarmament of local regional security forces by federal authorities has triggered an immediate security collapse. Because the ruling elite in Mogadishu are completely consumed by their chaotic struggle to maintain an expired grip on power, military operations in rural areas have entirely lost momentum, allowing Al-Shabaab and ISIS to rapidly recapture vast territories.

Administratively, the presidency has devolved into a shameless family-run corporate cartel where democratic meritocracy is treated with open contempt. Sensitive, high-level diplomatic and economic positions are openly handed out to the President’s immediate family members. This blatant nepotism is epitomized by the appointment of his daughter, Jibhan, as the Advisor for International Affairs, and his son-in-law, Adam Roble, as the director of the Somali Development and Reconstruction Bank. Meanwhile, highly qualified military commanders are being systematically purged and replaced by tribal loyalists whose only duty is to defend the palace.

Furthermore, economic warfare is being waged directly against ordinary civilians, fueling the immense anger boiling over in the streets of Mogadishu. The illegitimate administration has turned to systemic economic piracy, orchestrating the forced seizure of private lands from poor Somali citizens to sell them to corrupt political donors for massive corporate profits. To make matters worse, millions of dollars in international aid, meant for national development and humanitarian relief, are being shamelessly hijacked to buy the allegiances of tribal elders. Hassan Sheikh’s regime has lost all legal and moral legitimacy, leaving behind a rogue state built on weaponized security, institutional theft, and absolute tyranny.