Abdi Hoosow

Continued from… This message applies to all Somalis at home and abroad. Our disease seems to be the same, only the locations differ, but you in the west need to get better soon, we expect from you, in fact we hope so, so that you can cure the rest. My brothers and sisters in the West, in the US and specially in Minneapolis, we can, and must, be better than the stereotypes, the divisions, and the narratives written about us. Because our history proves that we already were once. Tribal politics once broke us. Let’s not repeat that mistake abroad. Nasri Warsame. Jacob Frey. Omar Fateh. Choose who you want. They will serve their time and move on. But do not kill our collective dream in the process. Do not make Somalis look smaller than we are. Because remember this: the example you set in America echoes across the world. A Somali anywhere is an ambassador for Somalis everywhere.

An open letter to the Somali community in Minneapolis. YOU MUST SET A HIGHER STANDARD. We once fed those who now call us hungry. We once inspired those who now call us failed. Somalia has a proud history of generosity, democracy, and resilience , though much of it remains unwritten or forgotten. Few outside our community remember that Somali women could vote in democratic elections before women in Switzerland could. Few know that we were among the earliest democracies in Africa and the strongest voices for those still under colonial rule. Today, that same Somali spirit lives on beyond our borders, in cities across the world, where our people have rebuilt lives, businesses, and communities. Among them, Somali-Americans stand out for their success. They have risen from refugee camps to city halls, from classrooms to Congress. They have done this while being Black, Muslim, and immigrants, three identities that, in many places, each come with their own struggles. That journey deserves deep respect and admiration. But with success comes responsibility. What we have seen recently among Somali-Americans in Minneapolis, the heated divisions, the tribal rhetoric, the narrowing of political debates into clan lines, is a step backward. One we cannot afford to take again, especially in America and across the Western world, where we are expected to set a higher standard. This is not about Jacob Frey, Omar Fateh, or any other candidate. It is not about who wins or loses an election. It is about how we, as a community, choose to engage. Choosing your leaders is your democratic right. But the arguments you use, and the tools you rely on, define you far more than the votes you cast. Some say this sudden return to clannish thinking is a reaction to what happened to my brother Nasri Warsame, that he was unfairly treated because of his clan. If that is true, then it was wrong and unjust. Nasri Warsame is good hearted, active, capable young man. Those responsible should be remembered for what they did. But to respond with the same failed methods we long condemned back home would be equally wrong. You do not correct injustice by imitating it. You address it and rise above it. Every act, every word, every campaign we run abroad reflects back on all of us, including those still struggling to rebuild Somalia. The image of Somalis in America, or Europe, or the Gulf, becomes the image of Somalis as a whole. That is why this moment matters. Somalis in the United States aspire to even greater heights and rightly so. You already have mayors, business leaders, legislators, and activists. You are shaping narratives and inspiring others. Thanks to the example set by Somali-Americans, Somalis across Europe, from London to Norway are now entering political corridors and civic life. Your children will go even higher. One day, we hope they will take the lessons of leadership, integrity, and unity back home to rebuild the country that raised their parents. But how can that happen if we poison their path with the same clannish politics that destroyed our homeland? Choose whoever you want, that is your right. But change the argument. Change the tools a miniroty of have just resorted to use. Let your choices be guided by merit, vision, and shared values, not by lineage or bloodline. Be a community that matters without isolating yourself. Be a political force to reckon with, not the fortified tribe that is walling itself off. Because with the method some of you just put in practice, that is where you seem to be heading. Remember, the non-Somalis who vote are many, and those who run for office are mostly non-Somalis too, so influence wisely. Earn respect through unity, integrity, and ideas. Show America and the world, that Somalis can lead with principle.

It was a privilege to join the youth at their gathering, where hope and ideas for a better future were shared. I sincerely thank Arlaadi Media for their role in bringing us together and amplifying the voice of the youth.

Part two Lessons From Other Nations History shows nations rise when leaders rise above ambition. Nelson Mandela walked out of prison not to take revenge or merely replace his oppressors, but to reconcile a divided South Africa, leadership defined by forgiveness and vision. Lee Kuan Yew transformed Singapore from a struggling port into a prosperous state by treating leadership as nation-building, not power-hoarding. Even with controversies, Paul Kagame rebuilt Rwanda from the ashes of genocide by centering unity, security, and development over personal politics. What unites these examples is simple: they did not see the seat as the prize; they saw the nation as the prize. The Leader Somalia Needs Somalia does not need more politicians—we have plenty of those. We need leaders who: •Put the national agenda above personal gain. •Build institutions, not just coalitions. •Unite Somalis across clans and regions instead of dividing them for votes. •Offer policies and solutions, not only slogans and accusations. •Lead by principle, even when unpopular. •Embrace consultation and accountability as the engine of legitimacy. Leadership is not a throne; it is a trust (amanah) to be carried with humility, justice, and vision. Conclusion The choice before Somalia is no longer about who sits in the presidential chair. It is about whether we continue a cycle of ambition without progress or demand a higher standard of leadership, leadership that thinks country first, politics second; that prizes institutions over individuals; that judges ideas by merit, not by faction. Leadership is not about being for or against someone. It is about being for Somalia. Somalia deserves better.

Part one Somalia Needs Leaders, Not Just Politicians Somalia today is a country in search of direction. Our democracy is young and fragile. Institutions that should be independent too often bend to personalities. In a system where the president’s word can outweigh law, where vote-buying is normalized, and where politics is reduced to survival rather than service, the public is left with little faith that elections equal change. In such a reality, the mere replacement of one politician with another is no longer enough. Somalia does not need more substitutions. We need real transformation. The Burden of the Presidency A president in Somalia is not chosen simply to hold office; he is entrusted to serve as a guardian of the nation’s future. Yet too often, the presidency becomes consumed by politics instead of purpose, keeping allies close, neutralizing rivals, outmaneuvering critics, while the deeper needs of the country remain unattended. The office is not meant to be a shield for one man or woman; it is meant to be a compass for our entire nation. A president must think country first, politics second. Greatness is not measured by how long one survives in office, but by what is left behind for the people ruled, stronger institutions, fairer rules, a clearer national direction. The Problem With Our Politics Opposition politics, too, must rise above ambition. Too many believe politics is simply about fighting for a seat, tooth and nail, against whoever occupies it. That is not leadership either, that is ambition. Ambition, in itself, is not bad; it can drive people to serve, build, and achieve. But ambition alone is not what Somalia needs in its current state. Ambition serves the individual who desires the seat, whether purchased with foreign money, secured through bloodshed, or bargained in backrooms. Leadership serves the nation that depends on it. Our own history proves the difference. In the early 1990s, as the state collapsed, ambition filled the vacuum of leadership. Warlords rose, each claiming to be Somalia’s savior. Their ambition, unchecked by vision or responsibility, turned into devastation. Mogadishu became a battlefield; the state, a memory. That was ambition without leadership and its price was the destruction of a country, ours. But history also gives us another example: Adan Abdulle Osman, Somalia’s first president. In 1967 he peacefully handed over power after losing an election, one of Africa’s earliest voluntary transfers of authority without bloodshed. That was not mere ambition; it was leadership rooted in principle and in the understanding that Somalia is greater than any individual. Sadly, modern politics often returns to the ambition trap. Elections are too often driven by money, not merit; by foreign influence, never Somali priorities. Seats are bought and sold, loyalty is auctioned, promises evaporate after the vote. This is power sought not to serve the people, but to secure personal survival. Leadership does not come from hunger for office, it comes from readiness to shoulder responsibility. The Crisis of Political Discourse Beyond personalities lies a deeper illness: how we treat ideas. Today, every proposal is judged not by its merit, but by whether it is “for” the president or “against”, for some opposition individual or another or against him or them. Substance is ignored, national interest suffocated by factional suspicion. A good policy is good no matter who proposes it and a bad policy remains bad no matter who defends it. When debate is reduced to loyalty tests, Somalia loses the very oxygen of progress which is the very much needed and missed honest deliberation. If we want national change, we must first change the way we judge ideas by evidence and public interest, not by faction. Continued…..

The real threat to Somalia’s unity isn’t a foreign policy by a foreign country. it’s the vacuum left by its own politicians hellbent on petty, trivial issues and no vision at all which has gone on for decades.

NO POLITICAL MONOPOLY. SIYAASADDA DALKA WAA IN LOO SINNAADAA. Madasha waa inay beddeshaa luqadda ah “anaga keli ah ayaa Soomaaliya siyaasin u ah” Waddanka xilkiisa ayaa la isu doortaaye mucaaradnimadiisa miyaa la isu doortaa mise cid LICENCE mucaaradnimo bixisaa jirta?”. Madaxweynaha ayaa rag la kulmey Soomaali ah oo siyaasiyiin ah sidaa darteed waa ka baxeynaa wadahadalka ma aha keliya inay kheyrul mas’uulnimo tahay ee waa dhaqan xumo cusub oo mucaaradnimadii laftigeeda ay koox gaar isa siinayaan, qof walboo kalena looga hor istaagayo. Ma aha sax! Ragga mucaaridnimada ka dhigaya team gaar ah iyo TOKEN-nadooda, beri markey kursiga tagaan maxaa laga filan karaa? Anaga keliya nala hadal, haddaad qof kale la hadashana waa diideynaa af ma aha. Qof isagoo mucaarad ah dikteetar ah, berito markuu xilka ugu sareeya helo muxuu noqonayaa? MADASHU ma aha urur sharciyad u heysta inay dowladda iyo mucaaradkaba u DIKTEET-gareeyaan. Qof walba oo mucaaridnimo ku fekeraya oo masuuliyadi ku dheehan tahay waa mucaarad, hebel muxuu galaa iyo maxaa xisbiyo loola fariistey waa hadal xuquuqda mucaaradka lagu dulminayo. Waa iga su’aalee, SIDEE MADAXWEYNAHA UGU EEDEYN KARTAA TALADA INUU NAGU DARRO AYUU DIIDEY, ADIGOO MUCAARAD AH HADDII AAD MUCAARAD KALE INAY MIISKA SOO FARIISTAAN AAD DIIDDAN TAHAY? Garashada dadka yaan la caayin! The future of Somalia cannot be built on exclusive politics, not from government, and not from opposition.

@AbikarDr @GiGi_Faiza Illaahey naxariistii janno ha siiyo hooyo adinkana qalbiga ha idiib qaboojiyo.

@GiGi_Faiza Allaha u raxmado hooyo. Ilaahey marti la jecelyahay ha ka yeelo, adiga, reerka iyo asxaantina sabir ha idin siiyo. Waad duceysantahay abaayo.

Doorasho Qof iyo Cod oo federaal ah, oo weliba hadda ah: Qayaali Qalbiga u Roono aan Qabsoomeyn!

Somalia’s natural resources are being looted openly and illegally. What was once limited to the sea and done in secrecy is now happening across the land as well, boldly and without accountability. There is no transparency, no laws to curb it, and no benefit to the Somali people. Yet awareness remains dangerously low. Many Somalis are either too distracted, completely unaware, or sadly complicit in the exploitation of their own country. A whole nation has been turned into a massive project, one with no real ownership, where the only ones with rights are the thieves, and nothing stands in their way.

Today, I had the pleasure of engaging with a vibrant group of young people in a thoughtful Q&A and idea-sharing session. Their questions were insightful, and their ideas and vision for the future were both inspiring and encouraging. Every nation’s progress is driven by its youth, and I witnessed that energy and determination in them today. My sincere thanks to Hope Institute for organizing and facilitating this meaningful exchange.

To govern is a responsibility. To oppose is a duty. Both demand integrity, restraint, and loyalty to the nation. Let not the love of power blind those who rule, nor the hunger for it corrupt those who seek it. Somalia must not be sacrificed at the altar of ambition. If your pursuit of the seat leads us to ruin, know that history will remember and Allah will judge.

muwaadinso’s upcoming Space. Will you join too? twitter.com/i/spaces/1nAKE…

@MohamudYamani @AbdirahmanDhuxu @afyare_elmi @AhmedAwadSO x.com/i/spaces/1nAKE…

Mawduuc xiligiisa yimid. Dalkaan Danlayda ha laga badbaadiyo. @AbdirahmanDhuxu @afyare_elmi @AhmedAwadSO @abdihoosow

Tonight at 08:00 PM.