Professor Hassan Keynan and Dr. Mohamud M Uluso
President of the UNGA80, UN Secretary General, Heads of State and Government,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Normally, ordinary citizens do not trail or shadow their Presidents to the podium of the General Assembly Hall. However, We, Concerned Somali Citizens, are compelled to do so because we strongly believe that the true state of our country, and the rights, aspiration, concerns, and voices of our people will not be genuinely and substantively reflected in the speech our leader is scheduled to deliver at the UNGA80 tomorrow. Our country faces extraordinary challenges that demand and deserve urgent attention and extraordinary action. We plead for your understanding and patience.
As the world gathers in New York to mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, we, speaking on behalf of the genuine collective voice of the Somali people, feel compelled to sound the alarm about the true state of the Federal Republic of Somalia (FGS). Behind the carefully curated speeches and polished narratives lie a grim and deteriorating reality. The state of our country is dire.
Somalia today is teetering on the edge of renewed civil conflict, political fragmentation, and humanitarian catastrophe. These multiple crises are not incidental, but the direct result of deliberate, authoritarian actions by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Somalia’s Political Crisis: A Constitutional Coup
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, now entering the final eight months of his second term, has orchestrated what can only be described as a constitutional coup. Under the pretext of constitutional “review,” he has dismantled the federal power-sharing system that underpins
Somalia’s fragile Third Republic.
Key violations include:
1) Unilaterally extending the terms of federal member state presidents without legal basis;
2) Stripping the Council of Ministers and the Office of the Prime Minister of their constitutional
powers and transferring them to the Presidency;
3) Undermining the legislative branch through bribery, coercion, and political cooptation.
President Hassan has effectively collapsed the separation of powers, concentrating executive, legislative, and judicial authority in his own hands. The result is a total breakdown of constitutional order, legitimacy, and political functionality.
Unilateral Legal Overhaul
In 2024, the President pushed through unilateral and controversial amendments to four chapters of the Provisional Constitution, leading to the rushed passage of:
a) A flawed Political Party Law; b) An unworkable “One Person, One Vote” Electoral Law while keeping in place the 4.5 clan power-sharing model, and at the same time ignoring all necessary conditions for democratic constitutional one person and vote. The real aim is to extend his mandate, or conduct fraudulent elections in very few localities (spots), or leave behind “a Somalia in tatters;” c) A partisan Electoral and Boundaries Commission Law, with handpicked members loyal to the President.
Calls by opposition parties, civil society, intellectuals, and federal member states and international partners for meaningful dialogue and consensus have been ignored. Manipulation, delay tactics, fake concessions, and public dismissal of opposition legitimacy have replaced genuine political engagement.
Runaway Corruption and Economic Exploitation
President Hassan’s unchecked consolidation of power has opened the floodgates to widespread corruption:
1) Illegal auctioning of national assets in secret deals with foreign actors.
2) Violent displacement of hundreds of thousands of urban poor and IDPs in Mogadishu to make way for land grabs by politically connected elites. Millions of dollars collected without legitimate process was not deposited into the government Treasury.
3) Mismanagement and weaponization of international aid, which is routinely diverted, embezzled, or used for political patronage.
These abuses not only deepen public suffering but also erode Somalia’s credibility among international partners.
Collapse of Governance and Rising Public Discontent
The Somali state, after two decades of reconstruction efforts, is unraveling under President Hassan’s leadership. The public now faces:
1) Daily threats from terrorism;
2) Soaring poverty and youth unemployment;
3) Increasing refugee outflows and unmet humanitarian needs;
4) Escalating corruption and collapse of investor confidence;
5) A total loss of trust in the judiciary, civil service, and security institutions.
Despite years of international support & investment, including debt relief, Somalia is, in effect, no longer a functioning state.
Impunity: The Scourge of the Third Republic
Impunity has become systemic across all branches of government. This normalization of lawlessness poses an existential threat to Somalia’s state-building process and regional stability. Without urgent intervention, the window for restoring constitutional order — and holding credible elections before May 2026 — may close permanently.
Security Breakdown and Inter-State Conflict
President Hassan’s heavy-handed tactics have intensified intergovernmental conflict:
a) In Jubbaland, clashes between federal and regional forces have caused killing and wounding governmental soldiers, with some soldiers fleeing into Kenya, air blockade of the state, and displacement of hundred of thousands of civilians, suffering until today;
b) In Puntland and Jubbaland, relations have further deteriorated to the point of practical disengagement;
c) In Somaliland, secessionist claims are being heightened, emboldened by the federal government’s failures.
These are not random flashpoints — they are consequences of a deliberate, centralized power grab that has sidelined reconciliation and federalism.
A Call for International Urgent Action
Our appeal to the international community: Do not be misled by photo ops or rhetorical displays at the UN General Assembly. Behind the façade is a Somali regime that:
1) Rules through bribery, propaganda, repression, and exclusion;
2) Undermines constitutionalism and democracy;
3) Displaces its own citizens while enriching the President and his close clique;
4) Threatens regional peace and international stability.
Urgent Actions Needed
We respectfully urge the United Nations, African Union, United States, Arab Countries, China, Russia Federation, United Kingdom, European Union, and all other international partners to:
1) Demand the cancellation of the constitutional coup and all unlawful acts;
2) Reject the illegitimate partisan electoral commission, and support a neutral and inclusive one.
3) Insist and facilitate urgent national dialogue with all Somali stakeholders to agree on a peaceful and credible electoral framework for 2026.
4) Establish an international Commission of inquiry into:
- Illegal displacement of civilians, Sale of national assets,
- Misuse of international aid.
- Human Rights Violations
- Reasons behind the lack of progress on the war against terrorist group Al Shabab, despite massive international support.
Warning: Somalia Is at a Crossroads
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has betrayed the Somali people’s hopes for reconciliation, unity, statehood, and democratic governance. If his current trajectory continues, Somalia risks collapsing into another prolonged period of chaos — undoing decades of Somali resilience and international investment.
This is not only a Somali problem. It is a global concern. The Somali people are calling for a peaceful, democratic, and constitutional transition — not fraud, repression, and authoritarianism.
We urge the international community to act decisively — before it is too late.
On Behalf of The Concerned Somali Citizens
Professor Hassan Keynan
Email: keynanhassan@yahoo.com
Dr. Mohamud M Uluso
Mohamuduluso@gmail.com