Amidst the changing earthquake that could redefine Somalia’s political future, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamd has stitched together a coalition of former enemies and launched a powerful new political instrument: the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP), a powerful new political instrument, to look at the election of the country’s first, one person, for over 50 years.
The party, announced in Mogadishu on Tuesday evening, unites political enemies sworn from federal and regional powers. Some of them have spent years trading barbs, clashing dominance and undermining each other’s authority. Now they are sitting shoulder to shoulder in what many call the most horrifying political force Somalia has seen in postwar times.
“This country cannot afford to tear it apart every five years,” President Hassan declared at the launch. “We need continuity, cohesion and institutions that survive beyond individuals.”
The party’s inner circle reads as if Somali’s political heavyweight and former enemy, who is who.
In Galmudug, Congressman Abdirahman Mohamed Hussein (Odowaa), Regional President Ahmed Abdi Karie (Qoorqoor), and former NISA boss Mahad Mohamed Salad (formerly trapped in a bruise contest for state control) are now party colleagues. Odwaa serves as executive director.
In the southwest, Speaker Sheikh Adan Madbe and President Abiaziz Raftagary (a longtime rival for the influence of federal issues) now share the same political platform. Joining them is former Minister of Defense Abdulqadir Mohamed Nur (Jamak), who previously remained in the cabinet, eliciting tensions with both men. Even Mukhtar Robou, confined to a move that cleared the path of Raftagarene’s presidency, is now part of the crease.
“This is not just a party, it’s a strategic political machine,” said Dr. Abdinasir Mohamed, a political scientist at Mogadishu University.
“It reflects a rare moment of political maturation where personal grim is placed aside for broader national alignment.”
The formation of the United and Justice Party, where Somalia prepares for its first national in-person vote since 1969, is a landmark moment in the country that has long been kept in clan-based election negotiations.
By combining those who once acted as power centres, President Mohamud appears to be betting on a new political formula. It combines loyalty, reconciliation and national charm into a single campaign vehicle.
“The opposition groups remain scattered and responsive, but the president is building a disciplined political infrastructure ahead of the 2026 showdown,” says Fadumo Warsame of the Hiraal Institute.
“It informs the opposition.”
“He took his most intense critics, turned them into allies and gave them stock in the same future,” added Dr. Osman Ahmed, an African analyst based in Nairobi. “This party could control future polls — if it is held.”
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Since the collapse of SIAD BARRE in 1991, Somalia has been staggered through the Civil War, war and the vulnerable transitional government.
The current federal system appeared in 2000 and relies on a clan-based “4.5” that assigns power between major Somalia clans and minorities, but has long been criticized for entrenching divisions and hindering democracy.
The move to one-person election targeting 2026 is considered a historic progression, but remains full of challenges. Security threats from Al Shabaab, weak election infrastructure and mistrust between federal and state authorities continue to test Somali’s democratic aspirations.
Still, with the emergence of justice and unity, President Hassan Sheikh may have separated the unusual political masterstroke.
