MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – It was a long and tense night at Villa Somalia on Saturday as negotiations dragged past midnight in a final attempt to reconcile President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his longtime ally, Abdirisak Omar Mohamed, the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
For months, their disagreements had remained hidden from the public, but by the week’s end, their feud had become impossible to contain.
At the center of their conflict were lucrative oil and gas exploration contracts, involving millions of dollars and foreign companies, including entities from Turkey.
President Mohamud accused Abdirisak of misappropriating funds from these deals, alleging that over $10 million received in 2022 and $8 million in 2023 were mishandled.
While Abdirisak did not deny the accusations, sources close to the president revealed that he had initially shared a portion of the proceeds with Mohamud but later began keeping the funds for himself – mostly in overseas bank accounts.
Efforts to mediate the crisis were spearheaded by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and other key figures, including Minister of Planning Mohamud Beene Beene.
Both sought a resolution that would preserve the relationship between the two men. However, President Mohamud was unyielding, insisting that Abdirisak, who is also a Member of Parliament from the Hiiraan region, be removed from his cabinet post as punishment for what he viewed as betrayal.
By early Sunday, President Mohamud instructed the prime minister to announce a cabinet reshuffle. By midday, Abdirisak’s dismissal was formalized, marking the end of his tenure as Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
Mini reshuffle
The reshuffle brought significant changes. Abdirisak was replaced by Dahir Shire Mohamed, who now oversees the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
General Bashir Mohamed Jama (Goobe), who faced criticism during his time as Minister of Women and Human Rights, was reassigned as Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
Meanwhile, Khadija Al-Makhsumi, a Member of Parliament and the wife of Abdikarin Hussein Guled, a close associate of president Mohamud, was appointed as Minister of Family and Human Rights.
Following his dismissal, Abdirisak issued a statement on social media, citing differences with the government over addressing grievances in Hiiraan and tensions with the HirShabelle administration.
“People may wonder why my dismissal occurred now, despite my close ties with the President. The decision stems from disagreements on resolving the longstanding grievances of the people of Hiiraan toward HirShabelle’s leadership,” he wrote.
Abdirisak also referenced unresolved disputes dating back to HirShabelle’s formation, including the designation of its capital and parliamentary representation.
The end of the political journey
Abdirisak’s political journey is closely tied to President Mohamud. A Somali-Canadian and a former taxi driver from Ottawa, Canada, he rose to prominence as one of Mohamud’s most trusted allies.
He first served in president Mohamud’s cabinet as Minister of Security during the 2012–2016 term.
Their relationship was not built on educational or professional connections but on familial ties—Abdirisak comes from the family of president Mohamud’s mother.
When Mohamud returned to office in May 2022, Abdirisak secured the petroleum ministry after reportedly promising to share the profits from oil and gas contracts with the president.
Allegations suggest that Mohamud’s first wife was also involved in managing these deals.
Now, with their alliance fractured and Abdirisak removed, questions linger over what will become of the millions of dollars allegedly lost.
In Somalia, corruption rarely leads to accountability. Instead, power dynamics shift, and the cycle continues.
For the new Minister of Petroleum, Dahir Shire Mohamed, the message is clear: any future funds must be fully surrendered to the president and his influential first lady.
As for Abdirisak, only time will tell whether this marks the end of his political career or merely a temporary setback.
For now, his fall from grace serves as another reminder of the pervasive corruption that continues to define Somali politics.