By Abdiqani Haji Abdi

The much-anticipated cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre was widely seen as a last chance for Somalia’s leadership to steer the country away from the abyss – now a missed opportunity. Across Somalia, hope flickered — not only among exhausted citizens but also among Somalia’s international friends and partners, who had invested years of effort, billions of dollars, and diplomatic capital into the dream of Somalia’s recovery.

There was a genuine expectation in some peripheral segments of the society but not the majority, that the Prime Minister would deliver a bold, far-reaching reshuffle — one that would rise to meet the moment, breathe new life into a faltering government, and rescue Somalia from the glaring reality of doom looming over the nation. Somali citizens, battered by decades of conflict, misrule, and betrayal, yearned for leaders courageous enough to confront the enormity of the challenges facing their beloved country.

International observers, increasingly alarmed by Somalia’s deteriorating security, political instability, and rampant corruption, hoped for a transformative shift: the appointment of qualified, patriotic individuals who could halt Somalia’s downward spiral. They envisioned a government that could stabilize the security situation, restore the rule of law, rebuild public trust, and prepare the ground for credible elections and constitutional order.

Instead, what emerged was a cruel betrayal of those hopes. Rather than charting a new course, Prime Minister Hamse Barre merely recycled the same discredited figures whose incompetence, corruption, and political short-sightedness had already brought Somalia to the edge of collapse. The reshuffle stunned not only the weary Somali public but also international partners, who now find it increasingly difficult to justify their continued support for a government so clearly out of touch with the people’s needs and aspirations.

The Somali people deserved leadership that would recognize the cascading crises and respond with urgency and competence. Instead, the reshuffle sent a chilling message: that the political elite remain more committed to preserving their personal fiefdoms than saving the Somali state.

This failure to act boldly in a moment of national peril has only accelerated Somalia’s trajectory toward state failure — betraying the sacrifices of the Somali people and the faith of Somalia’s international friends who had dared to hope for better.

In a moment when Somalia desperately needed leadership, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration has once again chosen the path of self-preservation over national salvation.

After months of expectation, the recent cabinet reshuffle — expected to usher in a new era of reform and integrity — instead recycled familiar failures. Prime Minister Hamse Barre’s announcement of Jabril Abdirashid Haji Abdi as Second Deputy Prime Minister, Abdisalaan Dhay as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Ambassador Ahmed Macallin Fiqi as Minister of Defense was not a promise of renewal, but a grim confirmation of decay.

At a time when the Somali people yearned for courageous leadership to rescue their nation, Villa Somalia offered only more mediocrity, corruption, and political patronage. The ramifications of this choice are devastating and far-reaching.

This reshuffle was seen not just as a reshuffling of seats, but as a final opportunity to prove that Somalia’s leadership could rise to the occasion. Unfortunately, this moment of hope quickly turned into a moment of profound disillusionment.

Under President Hassan Sheikh’s leadership, the Somali National Army (SNA) has been reduced from a symbol of national unity to a weapon of internal political feuds. Nowhere was this betrayal more shamefully displayed than on December 11, 2024, when elite federal forces were recklessly deployed to Ras Kamboni in Jubaland. What was meant to be a show of federal strength ended in a humiliating national disgrace: SNA forces were overwhelmed by Jubaland’s Darwish forces and ultimately surrendered to both Jubaland troops and Kenyan forces across the border. It was a moment that should have sparked deep reflection and course correction — a chance to understand the cost of turning brother against brother in a land already torn by decades of conflict.

But Villa Somalia has learned nothing. Rather than taking heed of the lessons written in the blood and humiliation of Ras Kamboni, the administration now seems determined to repeat its mistakes — this time shifting its reckless ambitions to the Gedo region of Jubaland.

The government’s continued focus on internal political feuds rather than confronting the real threat of Al-Shabaab is not only reckless but borders on criminal negligence. Every life lost, every village destabilized, and every family torn apart by these internal conflicts serves to strengthen Al-Shabaab, which continues to expand its control over vast swaths of Somalia. This ongoing infighting weakens Somalia’s fragile institutions and pushes the nation closer to total collapse.

The betrayal of the Somali people by their leaders goes beyond military missteps. President Hassan’s administration has methodically dismantled the very safeguards designed to protect Somalia’s democratic future. The Provisional Federal Constitution — a document born out of hard-won consensus and sacrifice — has been shredded. Illegal extensions of presidential mandates in federal member states like Hirshabelle, Galmudug, and South West State reveal a calculated strategy to entrench power at any cost. Even the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC), once a beacon of hope for fair elections, has been hijacked to facilitate electoral manipulation and suppress political competition.

Moreover, the federal government has weaponized international development funds, depriving federal states like Jubaland and Puntland — which refuse to bow to centralized authoritarianism — of critical resources. This economic strangulation punishes regions for asserting their constitutional rights and undermines the spirit of federalism, the only model capable of holding Somalia together.

The civil aviation sector, a symbol of national unity, has also been politicized. The federal government’s blockade of Jubaland’s airspace crippled economic activity and led to preventable civilian deaths as sick and pregnant patients were denied emergency medical flights. This shameful collective punishment is a stark indictment of an administration that has forsaken its duty to protect its citizens.

Meanwhile, the Somali National Army, once a source of pride, is fractured along clan lines. Morale has collapsed. Corruption is rampant. Soldiers are often sent into combat poorly trained, poorly equipped, and with no clear strategy — cannon fodder in the administration’s desperate attempts to cling to power. To add an insult to  an injury, President Hassan nominated his own son, a young man with nomilitary experience, to head the Presidential Guards regiment.

The decay reaches deeper still: public lands and national assets are auctioned off in secret backroom deals, with the proceeds vanishing into the pockets of political elites. The civil service, once a fragile backbone of Somalia’s recovery, has been gutted, replaced with unqualified loyalists appointed on the basis of clan and loyalty, not merit.

Perhaps the most glaring example of this mismanagement is the appointment of a 22-year-old, Mr. Bukhari — the son of a sitting state minister — to head the Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Without any legal or diplomatic experience, he now wields influence over Somalia’s international legal affairs, epitomizing the administration’s contempt for competence, merit, and national service.

Somalia’s long struggle to rebuild after three decades of war is being systematically undone from within. The African Union forces, initially expected to stay for only three years, have remained for more than Seventeen years — a testament to Somalia’s unbroken cycle of governance failures. Instead of strengthening Somali institutions and embracing federalism, Villa Somalia has chosen repression, manipulation, and patronage.

While President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud concentrates power in Mogadishu, Al-Shabaab steadily expands its territory. Every day spent fighting fellow Somalis instead of confronting the real enemy brings Somalia one step closer to national disintegration. Today, the greatest threat to Somalia’s survival is not only the militants hiding in the forests — it is the betrayal festering at the heart of the federal government.

The Battle for Leadership: Puntland’s Contrasting Success

Amid this grim landscape, Puntland offers a beacon of hope. In late February 2025, Puntland launched a decisive military operation against ISIS militants entrenched in the unforgiving mountains of Bari. Within three months — and without any support from Mogadishu — Puntland forces succeeded in clearing ISIS strongholds, achieving what the federal government has repeatedly failed to do.

The terrain was rugged, reminiscent of Afghanistan’s mountainous battlegrounds, yet Puntland’s disciplined, well-led forces prevailed. This remarkable success underscores a fundamental truth: the difference between triumph and failure is not geography — it is leadership.

Under President Said Abdullahi Deni, Puntland has demonstrated that with strong governance, political will, and respect for federal principles, real progress is possible. In stark contrast, Villa Somalia continues to offer only excuses, patronage, and deepening despair.

 A Final Call for Action

The window for corrective action is closing rapidly. Somalia cannot endure another decade of betrayal, corruption, and stagnation. The time for decisive leadership is now — before Somalia’s last hope for recovery slips into permanent disintegration. Every Somali, and every true friend of Somalia, must demand:

• An immediate end to the illegal deployment of national forces against federal member states.
• The full restoration of the Provisional Federal Constitution in both letter and spirit.
• Transparent, free, and fair elections — without illegal extensions or manipulated commissions.
• An end to the politicization of international aid and national airspace.
• The rebuilding of a professional, non-partisan Somali National Army.
• The prosecution of corrupt officials who have looted public resources.
• A full return to federalism — the only model capable of holding Somalia together.

Somalia stands at a crossroads. The decisions made in the coming months will determine whether the nation rises from the ashes or sinks deeper into the abyss. Will the Somali people rise and reclaim their future, or will they allow corruption, betrayal, and incompetence to extinguish the hard-won hopes of a generation? It’s not just the Somali people who must demand change — the international community, whose investment in Somalia’s recovery is substantial, must also hold Somalia’s leadership accountable for its failures

The time for action is now. Somalia cannot afford another wasted decade. The world is watching — and so too are the Somali people, whose patience is running thin. It’s time to demand a government that serves them, not itself.

Abdiqani Haji Abdi
Email: Hajiabdi0128@gmail.com