Op-Ed by Abdirahman Dhuxul*
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud was re-elected in May 2022, making history as Somalia’s oldest president and the only one ever to serve two terms. Many expected that age and experience would bring wisdom, and that at this stage of life he would focus on leaving a legacy rather than chasing wealth. With a PhD, the highest level of education, he seemed positioned to lead Somalia with knowledge and integrity.
But expectations are not always reality.
At a time when Somalia is fighting al-Shabaab, losing soldiers as martyrs, and facing a fierce diplomatic battle over the Red Sea, the president’s administration has instead been accused of selling off valuable national assets, including even a cemetery, to private interests. These transactions bypassed legal and financial procedures and were never reflected in government budgets. This has raised suspicions of deliberate secrecy.
The consequences have been severe. Poor families, many of them soldiers’ households, have been evicted from their modest homes. During some forced evictions, police violence even claimed civilian lives. The very people defending Somalia are being stripped of shelter by the leader meant to protect them.
The opposition has condemned these actions. In addition, three former presidents, Abdiqasim Salad Hassan, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, and Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, issued a joint statement demanding an end to illegal land sales, the return of seized properties, and shelter for displaced citizens. They stressed that if land must be sold, it should be through proper legal channels.
In another alarming move, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud fired the Rector of Somali National University after he opposed the sale of part of the university’s land. Instead of respecting academic independence, the president silenced it.
This raises one unavoidable question: how much land is enough for a president?
A Mirror in Tolstoy’s Story
This recalls Leo Tolstoy’s timeless short story, “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” In it, a peasant named Pahom is consumed by greed. Promised all the land he can walk around in one day, he pushes himself farther and farther trying to claim more than he can manage. By sunset, exhausted, he collapses and dies. The only land he receives is six feet, the space for his grave.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud now seems to be living Pahom’s story. He has power, respect, and the rare honor of two terms in office. Yet instead of building a legacy of justice and nation-building, he risks being remembered for land grabs, forced evictions, and betrayal of Somalia’s soldiers.
The Final Lesson
Tolstoy’s moral is clear: greed has no limit, but life does. In the end, whether farmer or president, the land we need is no more than a grave.
Somalia deserves a leader who protects public property, honors its soldiers’ sacrifice, and strengthens institutions rather than dismantling them
Author Bio:
Abdirahman Dhuxul holds a BA and MA in Politics & Diplomacy. He is a political analyst and social activist with a strong interest in governance, accountability, and nation-building in Somalia.
