Somali President Accuses Rivals of Practicing ‘Armchair Politics'

Somalia, 24 November 2025 — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has challenged his political rivals to abandon isolation and reconnect with the public by observing the realities on the ground first-hand rather than shaping narratives from behind closed doors.

Speaking at the First Somali Justice Sector Conference today, the President criticised what he described as a pattern of political commentary disconnected from real-life conditions in the country’s capital, Mogadishu.

“To the politicians who remain inside houses and hotels in Mogadishu, I say come outside and see the beauty of the capital and the security that exists. Say only what you have verified and stop spreading misinformation from hotels about things you have not witnessed,” he said.