Mohamed Hire Mohamud (Ganaaf) :
Somalia’s political crisis isn’t just about instability or clan competition. At its heart is a deeper problem: public institutions have become tools for political, economic, and personal gain.
For many citizens, the basic idea of dawladnimo government and statehood has become disconnected from what it was supposed to mean: protecting people, providing essential services, upholding the rule of law, and creating opportunities for long-term economic and social development.
One of the biggest problems in Somalia’s political system is the continued use of clan divisions to gain and hold onto power. The idea of “divide and rule” has repeatedly pushed communities apart while allowing political elites to strengthen their influence and compete for access to public resources.
This creates a dangerous cycle: political power gives people access to state resources; those resources help build political networks; and those networks are then used to hold onto power. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens continue to deal with insecurity, poverty, unemployment, poor public services, and few economic opportunities.
So the problem isn’t just about individual politicians or traditional leaders. It’s about a wider governance system where accountability is weak, public resources can be misused, and political loyalty is often valued more than competence and public service.
Somalia doesn’t need another generation of politics focused mainly on personal enrichment, patronage, and division. It needs institutions that serve citizens instead of political networks; leaders who answer to the public; transparent management of national resources; and a political culture where competence, integrity, and service to the country matter more than clan affiliation.
The Somali people shouldn’t have to accept poor governance as their permanent reality. Real change must come through peaceful civic engagement, democratic participation, institutional reform, transparency, accountability, and a shared demand for responsible leadership.
Somalia’s future shouldn’t belong to a small political elite. ( It should belong to its people)
That’s the real test of (dawladnimo)
2026-09-12 17:32:36