OPINION: Dirie - Somalia’s moment of institutional renewal

By Nuradin Dirie

May 15 is more than a constitutional deadline, rather it is a test of whether Somalia can finally place institutions above personalities.

For the past two weeks, I have stepped away from the noise of daily politics to focus on the difficult work of state-building.

My silence was not withdrawal from the national crisis. It was an acknowledgment that Somalia is approaching a defining constitutional moment that demands seriousness rather than spectacle.

On May 15, the legal mandate of the current administration reaches its limit. This is not a political opinion; it is a constitutional fact. At such moments, nations either strengthen their institutions or allow uncertainty to deepen existing fractures.

I have made no secret of my intention to contest Somalia’s next presidential election. I believe leadership should be earned through vision, institution-building and national consensus — not through coercion or what I have often described as the politics of the “sledgehammer.” But before we debate who should govern Somalia tomorrow, we must first ensure the republic itself remains stable today. That is why my focus now is on what I call a National Reset.

Somalia cannot be stabilised from Mogadishu alone. While much of the political tension is concentrated in the capital, the solution to Somalia’s crisis must be national in character.

That understanding is what brought me to Garowe, where I have spent the past several days consulting with the people who continue to hold this country together despite political uncertainty.

I met business leaders who keep Somalia’s markets functioning even during instability and who deserve protection under law rather than dependence on political favour. I listened to civil society leaders exhausted by the repeated use of confrontation against the very foundations of the republic.

I also engaged regional stakeholders who understand a truth too often ignored in national politics: federalism is not a threat to Somalia’s unity. It is the mechanism that preserves it.

Discussions with representatives from South West communities reinforced another important reality, that Somalia’s southern heartland remains indispensable to our political stability and national survival.

What became clear from these conversations is that Somalis are tired of false choices. We are too often told we must either accept centralised decrees that ignore federal realities or surrender to instability and fragmentation. I reject both options. The future of Somalia depends on systems, not strongmen.

The National Reset is not about replacing one political figure with another. It is about building institutions strong enough to outlast individuals.

It means ensuring that the soldier serves the republic, not political personalities. It means protecting regional autonomy through constitutional guarantees rather than temporary arrangements.

Most importantly, it means replacing fear-driven governance with a system grounded in accountability, trust and national dignity.

The symbolism of May 15 should not be overlooked. This year marks the 83rd anniversary of the founding of the Somali Youth League, established in 1943 by young Somalis who imagined a sovereign nation before one existed.

They did not struggle for personal rule or perpetual political crisis. They fought for a sovereign system capable of serving future generations. That unfinished work remains before us today.

May 15 should not become a day of fear or political brinkmanship. It should mark the beginning of Somalia’s institutional renewal.

I remain ready to compete for the trust of the Somali people in the election ahead. But today, my responsibility is larger than personal ambition: it is to help ensure Somalia remains a nation worth leading.

The writer is a presidential candidate in the forthcoming Somalia elections