Villa Somalia’s recent move to extend its security control over Halane, Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport, underscores growing political tensions in Somalia. The Somali Police Forces Commissioner placed the airport’s police station under the Banaadir Regional Police Command, a decision seen by critics as potentially unconstitutional. Halane serves as a secure hub for diplomatic missions and high-profile electoral negotiations, making it critical for opposition safety. The Farmaajo regime has long resisted the airport’s “extra-territoriality,” viewing it as a space beyond its coercive reach. By deploying the paramilitary Harama’ad unit and placing the airport under a Villa Somalia ally, Sadaq John, the government effectively extends its surveillance and control over opposition activities. This has raised alarms among foreign governments, diplomatic missions, AMISOM, and Somali opposition parties, who fear increased political repression. Observers argue that this strategic move allows Villa Somalia to monitor opponents, disrupt opposition gatherings, and influence political negotiations, undermining democratic processes and human rights. The extension of partisan control to Halane signals the growing reach of the regime’s coercive power and highlights the precarious balance of safety, neutrality, and political freedom in Somalia’s capital.
American diplomacy in Somalia has reached a troubling low amid the ongoing electoral crisis. The US embassy’s recent statement urging Somali leaders to remain in Mogadishu “until an election agreement is reached” reflects a tone-deaf and one-sided approach, failing to account for the opposition’s concerns. While the Federal Member State leaders of Puntland and Jubaland patiently waited for talks, former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo continued to obstruct the electoral process, deploying paramilitary units and intelligence forces to consolidate power. Farmaajo’s priority is not credible elections but securing a victory that guarantees his continued rule, undermining Somalia’s fragile democracy. Meanwhile, the US and other international partners have leaned on a weak framework election agreement from September, ignoring Farmaajo’s repeated violations and violent suppression of dissent. This mismanagement signals a dangerous precedent for American involvement in the Horn of Africa, highlighting the risks of biased intervention and the failure to ensure neutral mediation. Somalia’s opposition demands fair dialogue, credible electoral guarantees, and international support that is genuinely impartial. The Biden administration faces an early test of its commitment to peace and stability in Somalia, with the nation’s democratic future hanging in the balance.