Mogadishu, Somalia – Former Somali President and opposition leader Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has launched a sharp critique against the administration of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing it of mismanaging public resources and targeting civilian-owned properties after disposing of state lands.
At a press conference in Mogadishu on Sunday, Sharif claimed the government had already auctioned off public land and was now seeking to appropriate private property, a move he warned would fuel public resentment. Federal authorities have not yet issued a response to the allegations.
Beyond property disputes, the former president, who now heads the Forum for National Parties, raised alarm over the renewed threat of Al-Shabaab regrouping in several regions. He called for stronger security coordination to prevent militants from reclaiming territory lost during recent offensives.
Sharif also pressed for urgent dialogue on Somalia’s electoral model, stressing that the framework for the 2026 polls must be finalized before May 15, 2025 — the expiry date of the current federal administration’s mandate. He argued that delaying agreement on the election process would risk plunging the country into a deeper political crisis.
“The question of how Somalis will vote in 2026 cannot be left to the last minute. It requires consensus now,” he told reporters.
Sharif’s comments add to mounting opposition criticism of President Mohamud’s leadership, particularly on security and governance. With just over eight months until the deadline he referenced, political negotiations over the future of Somalia’s electoral system — whether one-person-one-vote or indirect selection — are expected to intensify in the coming weeks.