Somalia: Hassan Sheikh rejects PM Barre's resignation offer Amid Election Disputes

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Bewildered Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud reportedly rejected a resignation offer by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, sources told Garowe Online, with the two leaders finding it difficult to trigger synergy with federal member states, as some cut ties with Mogadishu.

Jubaland became the latest state to drop allegiance with the federal government, just as the two sides clashed over the model of elections which should be embraced. The federal government wants universal suffrage while Kismayo maintains indirect polls would be important at this time.

Without giving further details, sources hinted that Hassan Sheikh may also have rejected Barre's resignation offer. The Prime Minister reportedly cited his intent to travel to Jubaland, specifically Kismayo, to oppose Jubaland’s shift toward an indirect election plan.

Jubaland opposed Hassan Sheikh’s proposal for direct polls, arguing that the move could trigger unnecessary term extensions for federal and state leaders across the country. President Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe maintained that Jubaland would not be a party to such arrangements.

On Sunday, 10 members of the Somali Parliament’s Standing Committee rejected Speaker Aaden Madoobe’s appointment of a committee selected by the Presidency to present new election legislation to a joint session.

This move, analysts argue, challenges President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s push for one-person, one-vote elections as Jubaland shifted toward an indirect election process. Hassan Sheikh is in Riyadh for the Arab League of Nations summit.

However, the Somali government has criticized Jubaland’s intentions to proceed with direct elections, arguing that such a move would jeopardise the unity and state-building process and, in the long run, affect the country's security arrangements.

In a statement, the Somali government denounced the move as “illegal,” emphasizing that Ahmed Madobe’s term expired in August of last year and that he continues to hold office solely under an agreement between the federal government and regional states.

In September, Ahmed Madobe walked out of the National Consultative Council meeting after rejecting a proposal by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, which called for unified regional state elections, the appointment of a single federal election committee to oversee the process, and the implementation of a one-person, one-vote system in late 2025—an arrangement that would extend the terms of state presidents.

Barre is a critical figure in the administration of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and happens to come from Jubaland. His attempts to convince Madobe to drop his hard stance may have not yielded fruits but there is hope that Mogadishu and Kismayo could fix the matter.

The administration of Hassan Sheikh and Hamsa Abdi Barre has been criticised for failing to stick with their initial ideologies, including their opposition to term extension when Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed alias Farmajo was in power.

Hassan Sheikh is also criticised for failing to tackle the al-Shabaab menace and on Sunday, he brought back Gen. Yusuf Rage, who was sacked sometime last year. The government hopes to defeat Al-Shabaab by the end of 2026.

GAROWE ONLINE