Fahad Yasin’s election as a Member of Parliament in Somalia marks a turning point in the nation’s political landscape. Once the de facto director of NISA, Yasin has leveraged his strategic alliances, vast Qatari-backed resources, and Islamist patronage networks to emerge as one of Somalia’s most influential power brokers. His rise illustrates a broader shift from traditional clan-based politics toward elite state capture, where political survival is increasingly determined by money, alliances, and external support rather than clan loyalty. While technically from a minority 0.5 clan, Yasin’s financial muscle and ties to Qatar and Turkey have allowed him to bypass Somalia’s entrenched clan hierarchy. His political maneuvering has reshaped parliamentary elections, sidelining clan elders and consolidating power within a small, self-serving elite. This shift risks deepening public mistrust, alienating marginalized clans, and potentially driving some toward Al-Shabaab for influence and protection. If Yasin secures a deputy speaker role, he could play a decisive role in shaping Somalia’s next government and its policies for years to come. However, his dominance raises concerns over democracy, decentralization, human rights, and security sector reform, making his political ascent both a pivotal and controversial development in Somalia’s fragile governance.
Somalia’s Council of Ministers has officially reversed the 2017 decision by then President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo to classify the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) as a terrorist organization. The original designation was widely seen as political cover for the controversial extradition of ONLF commander Abdikarim Muse “Qalbi Dhagax” to Ethiopia an act that badly damaged Farmaajo’s image as a pan-Somali nationalist. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, who met Qalbi Dhagax in 2020 to apologize for his extradition and the ban, led the push to rescind the designation, calling it “meaningless and detestable.”