Somalia’s Ex-PM Warns Oil Deal and Political Rifts Could Spark New Crisis
Former Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has cautioned that the government’s offshore oil exploration with Turkey, combined with unresolved constitutional disputes, risks igniting political instability unless national consensus is reached.
A former Somali prime minister has issued a stark double warning, saying the government’s push for offshore oil drilling and persistent political infighting could undermine the nation’s fragile stability.
In a statement released on Saturday, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke called on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to focus on resolving internal disputes before the president’s term and parliament’s mandate expire, noting that tensions remain high.
Mr. Abdirashid specifically warned that exploiting oil and mineral resources might turn into a source of political conflict unless all key stakeholders agree on a formal and binding framework. He also expressed strong concern that delays in reaching crucial national pacts could endanger Somalia’s governance process.
His warning came one day after a Turkish seismic vessel, the Çağrı Bey, was received at Mogadishu port in a ceremony attended by officials from both countries. Somalia’s petroleum minister, Dahir Shire Mohamed, confirmed that the first well, named ‘Curad-1’, will be drilled offshore Galmudug state – about 275 kilometres from the coastline, between the towns of Mareeg and Harardeere.
The former prime minister also stressed the need for a lasting solution to contradictory policies arising from constitutional amendments and the electoral roadmap. He argued that these internal disagreements, along with oil drilling, require full consensus because they form the foundation of statehood.
Mr Abdirashid’s intervention reflects growing anxiety among Somalia’s political elite that pursuing resource extraction while constitutional and electoral disputes remain unresolved could deepen regional and factional divides.
The exploration campaign is part of a broader energy cooperation agreement between Somalia and Turkey, aimed at helping Mogadishu benefit from its natural resources. However, the former PM’s message serves as a reminder that without political unity, even promising oil finds may fuel further instability.
