MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – Four members of Somalia’s opposition Salvation Council announced on Monday, August 25, 2025, that they had withdrawn from the opposition alliance and defected to president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s side.
The announcement was made during a press conference in Mogadishu, where the four politicians appeared alongside Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama and Justice Minister Hassan Mo’allim.
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who has been under mounting pressure from the opposition, quickly welcomed the move, saying the four had reached an understanding with him linked to the national elections he plans to organize—an election widely viewed as uncertain and contested.
The Four Politicians Who Left the Opposition Council are:
- Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke – Former Prime Minister
- Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden – Former Speaker of Parliament and ex-President of South West State
- Mohamed Mursal Abdirahman – Former Speaker of Parliament
- Dahir Mohamud Geelle – Former advisor to President Hassan Sheikh on Arab affairs and Somalia’s former ambassador to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
The Deal and the Payout
According to insiders, President Hassan Sheikh offered the four politicians a total of $1 million, with each receiving $250,000.
“This was just a start,” the source said, noting that the four men had claimed they were heavily in debt and needed to settle some outstanding bills.
“Playing in Somali politics is not a cheap game, as it often involves paying large bribes and securing the support of nearly everyone in exchange for backing.”
In addition to the cash, each politician reportedly secured personal political promises:
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, for example, is expected to launch a new political party in Mogadishu after relations with the UAE, his long-time backer, soured when the Gulf state shifted its support to Puntland State.
Omar is believed to be fighting to regain his parliamentary seat as a political base, which may put him on a collision course with Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni, a fierce rival of Hassan Sheikh.
Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden reportedly promised support to contest the South West State presidency, potentially undermining the re-election hopes of incumbent Abdiasis Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, whose term has already expired but enjoys being a close ally of Hassan Sheikh.
Mohamed Mursal Abdirahman is guaranteed Hassan Sheikh’s backing to retain his parliamentary seat in the 2026 elections, paving the way for him to pursue the speakership again. However, success would ultimately depend on his clan constituency delegates.
Dahir Mohamud Geelle has been promised appointment as Somalia’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Sources note that Geelle had grown disillusioned with his previous OIC post, which offered little financial leverage, while the Saudi embassy is seen as a lucrative post often linked to labour migration and human smuggling routes.
Political Implications
While the deal highlights how President Hassan Sheikh is using money and patronage to weaken his rivals, analysts believe the defection of the four will not significantly alter the strength of the opposition Salvation Council.
When asked about the defection, opposition member and MP Abdirahman Abdishakur told BBC Somali that the four colleagues “had submitted their resignations as they made their own excuses to strike personal deals with Hassan Sheikh.”
However, Dahir Mohamud Geelle was quick to deny the bribery accusations, hinting that even if any payments were made, “it was the Somali government who paid them, not a foreign government.”
He appeared to accuse the opposition of “collaborating with foreign states”, though he did not specify which ones.
Emerging reports suggest that opposition figures, particularly from the Hawiye clan, plan to relocate their headquarters away from Mogadishu’s airport zone and embed themselves directly within residential neighborhoods—where they are expected to intensify grassroots political mobilization against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.