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By Ambassador Mahmoud Adam Jama Galaal
Representative of the Republic of Somaliland to the Republic of China (Taiwan)
Yesterday’s assault on Godka Jilacow Prison in Mogadishu has once again exposed the depth of dysfunction within Somalia’s federal government. A facility long regarded as one of the most secure in the country was overrun by Al Shabaab militants in a coordinated attack involving suicide bombers and gunmen that freed prisoners and humiliated the authorities.
The timing of the assault was painfully symbolic. Only hours earlier, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration had declared that Mogadishu was “fully secured” and celebrated the reopening of roads that had been closed for years due to insecurity. By nightfall, the claim collapsed in flames. What unfolded was not merely a terrorist incident but the unmasking of a government trapped between illusion and failure.
Somalia’s leadership has become a theatre of contradictions. While its citizens live under daily threat, the administration remains consumed by political ambition, corruption, and an unhealthy preoccupation with Somaliland. Instead of confronting the crisis consuming its own capital, President Hassan Sheikh and his Prime Minister, Hamza Barre, have diverted their limited resources to antagonising Somaliland through inflammatory rhetoric and covert interference.
The involvement of Somali intelligence operatives and senior officials in fuelling the conflict in the Sool region last year is well documented. Their actions prolonged violence and sought to undermine Somaliland’s peace and stability. The same destructive agenda is now being advanced in the Awdal region, with Somalia’s Minister of Defence, Ahmed Fiqi, recently declaring that Somalia’s flag would soon fly in Awdal, Burao, and other parts of Somaliland. His statements, utterly detached from reality, reveal a desperate attempt to manufacture tension and mischief for political gain.
While Mogadishu’s leadership interferes beyond its borders, the federal system it presides over continues to unravel. Relations with Puntland and Jubaland are effectively non-existent, exposing the fallacy of a federal structure that exists only in name. The fallout with its own federal member states is a direct consequence of Mogadishu’s reckless policy of attempting to subvert Somaliland, a policy that has instead fuelled fragmentation and accelerated the Balkanisation of Somalia’s internal political order. Western diplomats have described such reckless behaviour as an act of cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face. The National Consultative Council has degenerated into a stage for political rivalry rather than coordination, and the federal member states now pursue independent agendas with little reference to the centre. Even within Mogadishu, infighting between ministries, factions, and security organs has paralysed governance and eroded public confidence.
Corruption has become the defining hallmark of the administration. Public lands are sold in secret deals. Development funds disappear into private accounts. The appointment of President Hassan Sheikh’s own daughter to a senior advisory position at Villa Somalia epitomises a culture where nepotism displaces merit and loyalty outweighs competence. Donor nations have grown increasingly frustrated and disillusioned with the continuous injection of taxpayers’ money into what has become a bottomless pit, where stagnation replaces progress and a financial lifeline has become both a crutch and a curse. The system now sustains a political elite that prospers through dependency and deceit. US lawmakers have reported that USAID, once regarded as a cornerstone of American development assistance and a vital source of support for many deserving nations, has been abolished in response to corruption, mismanagement, and pilfering in countries such as Somalia.
The institutions entrusted with defending the state are themselves compromised. The National Intelligence and Security Agency, which controls Godka Jilacow Prison, has long been infiltrated by Al Shabaab and its sympathisers. Senior officers are implicated in illicit trade, corruption, and the deliberate leakage of sensitive information. When those charged with safeguarding a nation become complicit in its subversion, the concept of sovereignty loses all meaning.
The international community must now confront an undeniable truth. After decades of investment, training, and diplomatic backing, Somalia remains in a state of perpetual crisis. Its government survives not on legitimacy but on foreign subsidy. The international approach to Somalia has become the equivalent of “flogging a dead horse”, an exercise in futility that rewards dysfunction and punishes accountability.
For the people of Somaliland, these events offer no cause for celebration but stand as a powerful vindication of the choice made in 1991. When Somalia descended into chaos, Somaliland exercised its right to withdraw from an illegitimate union, a decision that was not only consistent with the legal principle of Remedial Right to Self Determination but also served as a necessary remedy for decades of injustice and oppression. The passage of time and history of the past thirty-three years has fully exonerated that decision. Had Somaliland not chosen that path, it would almost certainly be facing the same turmoil and instability that grips Mogadishu today. By reaffirming its independence, Somaliland charted a course towards peace, democracy, and institution building.
While Somalia’s leaders issue empty threats about flags, Somaliland builds schools and roads. Through determination and sacrifice, it has created a state founded on accountable governance and national discipline. Today, it maintains its own security, conducts credible elections, and engages confidently with international partners from London and Washington to Taipei, achieving stability not through dependency or slogans but through vision, hard work, and integrity.
The contrast is striking. Every explosion in the south reinforces the wisdom of Somaliland’s decision to stand apart. Every scandal in Mogadishu strengthens the case for recognising Somaliland’s sovereignty. The international community should draw the only logical conclusion. Stability and progress are not found in fragile states sustained by aid but in capable governments that earn legitimacy through service. Somaliland has done precisely that. It is time for policymakers around the world to recognise and reward competence rather than failure. It is time to increase engagement with Somaliland as a credible and responsible partner.
Hassan Sheikh’s government may continue to issue proclamations and provocations, but it cannot conceal the truth. The Somali state it claims to lead is fragmented, infiltrated, and adrift. A leadership that cannot protect its prisons or its people has forfeited any moral authority to lecture others about unity or sovereignty.
History will remember that while Mogadishu’s rulers pursued the politics of illusion, Somaliland quietly built a functioning State. The lesson is clear: legitimacy is earned through performance, not proclaimed by decree. In the Horn of Africa, it is Somaliland that stands as the genuine example of resilience, governance, and national dignity.
About the Author
Ambassador Mahmoud Adam Jama Galaal currently serves as the Republic of Somaliland’s Representative to Taiwan. A seasoned diplomat and politician with extensive experience in African and Asian geopolitics. Ambassador Galaal has held multiple senior government positions,
including Ambassador to Ethiopia, State Minister for Planning and National Development, and State Minister for Health. He has represented Somaliland in high-level negotiations across the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, and is widely recognised for his expertise in regional security and development strategy. His work draws on a strong background in law, governance, public policy, and international advocacy.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions or perspectives of Somaliland Chronicle and its staff.
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