Ismail Warsame

Constitution by Coercion: Somalia’s Manufactured Constitutional Crisis

In every functioning republic, a constitution is the highest covenant between a state and its people. It is not a private memo drafted in the corridors of power, nor a partisan manifesto imposed by a temporary administration. It is a national contract forged through consensus, trust, and legitimacy.What Somalia is witnessing today under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is the exact opposite....

Constitution by Coercion: Somalia’s Manufactured Constitutional Crisis In every functioning republic, a constitution is the highest covenant between a state and its people. It is not a private memo drafted in the corridors of power, nor a partisan manifesto imposed by…

The Politics of the Spotlight: Why Farmaajo Is Different

Farmaajana sharing the spotlight and praising a member of Parliament In Somali politics, the spotlight is a dangerous thing. Most politicians guard it like a jealous king guards his throne. They hoard it. They monopolize it. They suffocate it.The spotlight, in the hands of most Somali leaders, is not illumination—it is private property.But every now and then, a political figure appears to understand something that others do not: leadership is not about standing alone in the light; it is about letting others stand beside you....

The Politics of the Spotlight: Why Farmaajo Is Different Farmaajana sharing the spotlight and praising a member of Parliament In Somali politics, the spotlight is a dangerous thing. Most politicians guard it like a jealous king guards his throne. They ho…

Constitutional Coup in Slow Motion: Villa Somalia’s War on Consensus

There are many ways to dismantle a state.You can wage war.You can loot the treasury.You can invite foreign powers to carve the country into spheres of influence.Or—if you are more sophisticated—you can amend the Constitution without consensus and call it reform.That, dear readers, is the dangerous political experiment currently unfolding in Somalia under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud....

Constitutional Coup in Slow Motion: Villa Somalia’s War on Consensus There are many ways to dismantle a state.You can wage war.You can loot the treasury.You can invite foreign powers to carve the country into spheres of influence.Or—if you are more sophisticated—you…