This week marks one year since outgoing Somali President Mohammed Abdullahi Farmaajo seized an illegal extension of power, defying the constitution and halting the relatively peaceful electoral transitions Somalia had maintained since 2000. His tenure, especially this past year, has been marked by political paralysis, deepening divisions, and dangerous instability. Farmaajo’s rift with Prime Minister Mohammed Hussein Roble fractured the federal government, leaving many regions vulnerable to Al-Shabaab’s resurgence. The jihadist group now operates a shadow government more effective than the Federal Government of Somalia, taxing, providing services, and building loyalty even in nominally government-held areas. Somalia’s foreign policy has become erratic, dialogue with Somaliland is stalled, and the overdue electoral process is mired in irregularities and fraud. Known for his reclusive style, Farmaajo avoids media engagement, often communicating through cryptic Facebook posts that heighten political uncertainty. His social and political missteps such as his cold behavior at a state funeral have raised concerns about his temperament and fitness for leadership. Farmaajo’s presidency, once billed as a strongman’s bid to restore Somali unity, has instead delivered heightened instability, failed governance, and a leadership crisis that threatens the country’s fragile political fabric.