Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said he has not yet decided whether to run for a third term in the 2026 presidential election.
Hassan Sheikh reiterated that any decision on whether to run for a third term in 2026 will depend on the political situation as the election cycle approaches.
He noted that his current focus is on strengthening the country’s security, boosting the economy, and implementing the long-awaited direct vote.
In an interview with Nation Media, a Kenyan news outlet, President Mohamud said the security situation in the capital, Mogadishu, has improved significantly since he took office in May 2022. He said that period was marked by intense fighting by his government against the Al-Shabaab militant group.
“Security in Mogadishu has improved significantly since I took office in 2022,” President Mohamud said. “We used to have explosions every month, but now they are very rare.”
He said the increased security has directly led to economic growth and construction in the capital, citing the expansion of commercial areas as an example.
“I was elected on a program of fighting terrorism and restoring democracy in Somalia. That was my election agenda,” he said. “If you look back at my political program in the last election, I was very successful in weakening the power of Al-Shabaab.”
President Hassan Sheikh said his main goal is to restore true democracy to Somalia. He particularly emphasized the importance he personally attaches to the implementation of a direct voting system.
