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President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has declared that Somalia will not slide back into conflict, as he defended the country’s democratic gains and rejected the use of violence to settle political disputes.
Speaking at a Saturday night dinner in honour of outgoing Parliament Speaker Aden Mohamed Nur, who was recently elected President of South West State, Mohamud said the country had come too far to allow instability to take hold again.
“We will not allow Somalia to be destabilised,” Mohamud told the gathering.
In a rare personal reflection, the president recounted how his life changed dramatically when he assumed office in September 2012.
“The first time in my life that a security officer accompanied the vehicle I was travelling in was when I was elected President,” he said.
He also disclosed that Islamist militants from Al Shabab have tried to kill him on five separate occasions – a fact widely known to Somalis, he said. Despite the threats, he insisted he does not require heavily armed convoys to move through the capital.
“Although I am the President, and although the Khawarij (Al Shabab terrorists) have attempted to assassinate me on five occasions, something the Somali people are well aware of, both inside Mogadishu and beyond, I still do not believe that I need convoys of military vehicles and men waving guns around the city to protect me,” he said.
“Mogadishu has seen leaders whose movements shook the city,
“They had larger convoys and bigger guns, but the country did not find peace through that.”
The president stressed that disagreements must be resolved through constitutional means, not armed confrontation.
He said his administration had consistently engaged political opponents and community leaders to address grievances peacefully.
“You have the right to express your opinion. You have the right to protest,” he said, while urging citizens to avoid destruction of public infrastructure.
Mohamud also defended ongoing electoral reforms, arguing that power must increasingly flow from the people rather than from appointments or informal influence.
“The era of one man deciding everything has brought Somalia enough suffering,” he said. “Our future must be based on institutions, laws and the will of the people.”
He praised communities that had participated peacefully in recent elections and called on Somalis to embrace democratic competition through political parties and representative institutions.
