By Abdiqani Haji Abdi

Public office carries a solemn responsibility and a duty to serve with integrity, competence, and accountability. Yet in Somalia, under the administration of Hassan Sheikh, positions of authority are entrusted to individuals who neither understand nor deserve the responsibilities of the offices they hold.

Among these, is the current Somalia’s Minister of Defense, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, who once again found himself at the center of political debate following a speech in Mogadishu that showcased his well-known talent for political commentary and partisan rhetoric. While his remarks generated headlines and stirred political discussion, they also raised fresh questions about whether he is devoting sufficient attention to the immense responsibilities of the office he currently holds.

Fiqi has become one of the Federal Government’s most vocal political figures, earning a reputation among both supporters and critics for his near-constant presence in the media. Whether serving as Minister of Interior, Minister of Foreign Affairs, or now Minister of Defense, one thing has remained remarkably consistent: his willingness to spend hours defending the policies of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and attacking virtually anyone who disagrees with them.

Critics jokingly remark that while ministries change, the script never does. Speaking at an event in Mogadishu marking preparations for Somalia’s Independence Week celebrations, Fiqi launched a familiar broadside against the government’s political opponents and the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, lumping both together as threats to Somalia’s future.

According to attendees, some members of the audience appeared surprised by the comparison. “There are enemies who spend 24 hours a day trying to weaken Somali statehood,” Fiqi declared, a remark widely interpreted as targeting opposition groups critical of the Federal Government.

He then turned his attention northward. “There are also separatists who seek to divide the country,” he added, referring to Somaliland. For many political observers, the comments highlighted what has become a recurring feature of Somalia’s political discourse: the tendency to portray nearly every disagreement as a threat to the state itself.

Critics argue that such rhetoric leaves little room for legitimate political opposition in a democratic society. “If everyone who disagrees with the government is labeled an enemy, eventually there will be more enemies than citizens,” one observer quipped after the event.

Others noted the irony of a Defense Minister spending much of his public appearance discussing political opponents rather than military strategy, national defense, or security challenges facing the country.

Somalia continues to grapple with significant security threats, including ongoing attacks by Al-Shabaab, disputes between federal and regional authorities, and growing political tensions over elections and constitutional legitimacy. Against that backdrop, some critics wondered whether the Ministry of Defense had become a political communications office operating in military uniform.

Fiqi concluded his remarks by urging citizens to display the Somali flag throughout the country, including on private vehicles, as part of the upcoming independence celebrations. Few would disagree with that appeal. Yet it was not the call for patriotism that dominated discussion afterward. Instead, much of the attention focused on the Minister’s decision to place opposition politicians and Somaliland within the same narrative of threats facing Somalia.

Supporters of the government praised the speech as a defense of national unity and statehood. Critics saw something else entirely: another example of a political culture in which disagreement is treated as disloyalty, criticism is viewed as sabotage, and ministers increasingly sound like campaign spokesmen rather than government officials.

As Somalia navigates one of its most challenging political periods in recent years, Fiqi’s latest remarks have once again reignited an old question: where does legitimate political opposition end and “enemy” status begin?

Judging by the Minister’s speech, the line appears to be getting thinner by the day.

Abdiqani Haji Abdi
Email: Hajiabdi0128@gmail.com