Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has confirmed a long-circulating rumor that he once offered the Somali presidency to ex-Somaliland leader Muse Bihi Abdi during high-level talks in Addis Ababa and that Bihi accepted the proposal.
The admission, made in an interview with Horufadhi Media, settles years of speculation about the secret 2020-2021 negotiations mediated by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. It comes at a time when Somalia and the breakaway region of Somaliland remain deeply divided, with Somaliland seeking international recognition and Mogadishu insisting on territorial integrity. Farmaajo, who led Somalia from 2017 to 2022, has never before publicly confirmed the offer.
In the interview, when asked directly whether he was prepared to transfer power to Bihi, Farmaajo answered without hesitation.
“Yes,” he said. “Directly.”
He added that Abiy Ahmed was present and listening during the exchange.
The revelation suggests that reconciliation talks reached an unprecedented level, with a sitting Somali president willing to cede the highest office to the leader of the breakaway territory. Political analysts say the offer, had it been implemented, would have fundamentally altered the Horn of Africa’s political landscape.
A senior Somaliland official, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that Bihi had participated in the talks but declined to comment on the alleged acceptance, stating only that “no formal agreement was ever signed or acted upon.”
Farmaajo’s confirmation is likely to reignite debate over his administration’s negotiation strategy and the true extent of concessions considered during the Abiy-brokered dialogue. Neither Bihi’s office nor the Ethiopian prime minister’s spokesperson has issued an immediate response.