Hassan Shiekh spotted in Turkish resort as Somalia reels from political and security crisis

ANTALYA, Turkey (GO) — A photo of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud aboard a luxury yacht in Antalya, one of Turkey’s premier tourist destinations, surfaced on social media in the last 24 hours — triggering widespread online reaction and raising questions about leadership optics as Somalia struggles with a growing crisis at home.

According to sources familiar with the President’s itinerary, Hassan Sheikh initially traveled to Egypt on an official visit before heading to Turkey for medical reasons. From there, he reportedly made a private trip to Antalya — a city known more for its Mediterranean beaches and European tourists than for hosting heads of state from conflict zones.

The timing of the visit, whether official or personal, coincides with a series of escalations across Somalia — where Al-Shabaab militants had captured strategic towns in Hirshabelle before the president’s trip to Egypt and Antalya, AU peacekeepers have suffered casualties, and political fragmentation deepens among federal and state governments.

Just as the images of the president’s yacht visit spread, Al-Shabaab fighters launched deadly bomb attacks against African Union forces — specifically Ugandan troops stationed in southern Somalia. The attack occurred in the Lower Shabelle region. In addition to dozens reportedly killed, the insurgents had captured key towns in the Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle regions before Hassan Sheikh’s overseas travel.

The offensive marks one of the most serious setbacks for Somali and AU forces in recent months, undermining recent claims by the Somali government that the group was on the defensive. Al-Shabaab is holding key strategic towns in Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan regions, but the government does not have a clear strategy to liberate them.

The central government is also facing backlash from Puntland and Jubaland — two of Somalia’s federal member states that politically oppose the Hassan Sheikh controversial election plan — over what they describe as unlawful constitutional interference by Villa Somalia.

In Laascaanood, a city in the Sool region, the federal government has backed a controversial conference aimed at forming a Khaatumo regional administration. Puntland officials allege the move is a “deliberate provocation” that undermines Puntland’s territorial authority. Recent clashes in the town of Dhahar, reportedly linked to the fallout from the conference, left multiple people dead, state officials said.

In the far south, federal military deployments in the Gedo region are fueling further distrust. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre recently met with former Jubaland security minister Abdirashid Janan — a figure long accused of serious human rights violations in Buulo Xaawo and other parts of Gedo. Janan, once a wanted man, now appears to be part of a quiet federal strategy to consolidate influence in the region — potentially at the expense of Jubaland’s autonomy.

Meanwhile, efforts to de-escalate political tensions in Mogadishu have faltered. Talks between President Hassan Sheikh and the opposition coalition have failed to produce an agreement, multiple sources confirmed.

Diplomats and analysts worry that Somalia is at risk of entering a constitutional vacuum. With the president’s term nearing its end and no universally accepted electoral model in place, fears are mounting that the country could plunge into a deeper political crisis.

“The situation is volatile — there’s no clear roadmap, and too many actors with diverging interests,” said a Western diplomat briefed on the stalled negotiations.

The president’s presence on a leisure boat in Antalya — though potentially innocuous — has added fuel to the fire. Critics online questioned the symbolism of luxury at a time when Somali soldiers are dying, cities are falling to extremists, and communities in regions like Sanaag, Haylaan and Gedo are on edge.

GAROWE ONLINE