MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is facing mounting calls to resign following the collapse of government forces in central regions and significant territorial gains by al Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab.
Prominent Somali political scholar Mohamed Haji Ingiriis has accused President Mohamud of mismanaging the military campaign launched in mid-2022, claiming it was driven by personal and financial interests.
“The only dignified route for the defeated HSM is to immediately assemble his rubber stamp parliament, make a kind of ‘the state of the union’ speech and resign to save war-torn Somalia from a complete state collapse similar to the 1991 worst case scenario,” Ingiriis said.
His remarks follow the recent fall of the strategic town of Adan Yabal in Middle Shabelle region to Al-Shabaab fighters. The town, which hosted more than 3,000 soldiers and the army chief, was overrun with minimal resistance. Eyewitness accounts and video footage showed soldiers and clan militias fleeing towards distant areas in the west of Galgadud region as militants continued their advance.
Ingiriis warned of an impending collapse of the Somali state, likening the situation to the chaotic disintegration of governance in 1991. He accused President Mohamud of overseeing a “war economy” led by “political brokers and war entrepreneurs, including himself,” which he said has undermined military cohesion and morale.
“No more ‘army’ other than a bunch of clan militias fleeing from the frontlines (from Aadan Yabaal to Guriceel) to save their lives from the encroaching militants,” Ingiriis wrote on X.
The disintegration of military positions in central Somalia has raised alarm among analysts who now fear the militants could encircle the capital, Mogadishu, if urgent political and military measures are not taken. Rashid Abdi, a Horn of Africa analyst with Nairobi-based Sahan Research, echoed similar concerns earlier, urging immediate action to prevent further territorial losses.
President Mohamud has yet to respond publicly to the growing calls for his resignation. The Somali government has previously vowed to intensify its fight against Al-Shabaab, which has waged an insurgency against the state for more than 15 years.
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