Farmaajo vs Hassan Sheikh: Why Today’s Opposition Fails Compared to the Past.
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Why Today’s Opposition Fails Compared to the Past. |
We will compare former President Farmaajo with current President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to see how things differ and therefore understand why today's opposition, led by Sheikh Sharif, is weaker than the strong Badbaado Qaran movement during Farmaajo's presidency.
Farmaajo vs Hassan Sheikh: A Tale of Two Presidencies
Somali politics has always been complex, the dynamic of clans, power struggles among those in charge, and control over the capital, Mogadishu.
There is a clear distinction between former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo's leadership and current President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
The most obvious change arises from how opposition movements worked effectively against Farmaajo but find no foothold against Hassan Sheikh.
Farmaajo and the Strong Opposition of Badbaado Qaran
When Farmaajo served as president (2017-2022), the opposition forces known as Badbaado Qaran came to the fore led by Hassan Sheikh and played a major role in shaping the political landscape:
Farmaajo lived under the constant threat of being pulled out of his loyal support.
This opposition group was made up of alliances based on clans, and hence gave them credibility and strength.
Even officials in Farmaajo‘s own government who transferred loyalty over.
Ultimately, all these pressures ended up making Farmaajo toppled.
Hassan Sheikh and the Weaker Opposition of Today
Under the present president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, things are quite different indeed:
Hassan Sheikh is a figure from the local level who has deep influence in Mogadishu and is linked to powerful business and clan communities.
He cannot be dislodged by force as was Farmaajo, because he is firmly rooted politically and socially within the city.
Today's opposition- led by former president Sheikh Sharif- does not pack the same punch or have the same effect as Badbaado Qaran once did.
Conclusion
Perhaps the crux of the matter is this: whereas Farmaajo had no strong support in Mogadishu from clans or local forces, given that very vulnerability opposition movements were able to make the most of it, Hassan Sheikh’s deeply-rooted relations with the city make him less easy a target.
As a result, Somalia's current era of opposition politics now seems weaker and less effective compared to Farmaajo's.