Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — Former Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, “Farmaajo,” says Somalia is sliding into a “deepening economic crisis.” He accuses the federal government of failing to shield citizens from soaring prices and shrinking incomes.
He delivered the warning on Satudar night at a private dinner with lawmakers from both houses of parliament at his home in Mogadishu. It was one of his clearest political interventions since he returned to the capital on November 13 after more than three years abroad.
Farmaajo told MPs that many families now afford only one daily meal, as wages remain flat while the cost of basic goods rises. He said pressure on poor households has reached a level that “cannot be ignored”.
“I studied the situation and realised the country is in a severe condition,” he said. “People who used to live on 200 or 300 dollars a month cannot cope, even if that income rose to 500 dollars. Salaries stay frozen while food prices keep rising.”
Rising living costs
The former president said some families in Mogadishu eat once a day “if they are lucky”, while others manage a meal every other day.
He compared the hardship to what Somalis call “caga-barar”, hollow-cheeked hunger linked to the worst days of the civil war, and argued that today’s strain is in some ways worse.
Farmaajo warned that inflation and hunger could erode trust in state institutions and feed new instability. If the government does not move quickly, he said, frustration among ordinary Somalis will deepen.
He urged MPs to back a response that focuses on public workers and on the cost of food. First, he called for a clear salary increase for civil servants and members of the security forces, with the increase written into the federal budget. Second, he said taxes on imported staple foods should be reduced. Hence, market prices fall, and low-income families can afford the basics.
“We can do two things,” Farmaajo told the dinner. “Increase the salaries of the armed forces and government employees, because they cannot survive like this. Then cut taxes on food imports so that poor people can buy what they need every day.”
Residents of Mogadishu have complained for months about higher food and fuel prices. Traders say many customers now buy in tiny quantities, and some small shops have closed after sales collapsed.
Government pushes back
The government quickly rejected Farmaajo’s description of the situation. Minister of Ports and Maritime Transport Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur said the former president painted an exaggerated picture when he spoke of hunger worse than during the civil war.
“If you are a leader of your country and your people, staying among them and aware of their lives helps a lot,” the minister wrote in a statement. “You do not need information brought to you in a dark room.”
Nur said he felt “deeply shocked” when he heard a senior figure claim that Somalia now faces famine and “caga-barar” more severe than in the early 1990s, when hundreds of people died every day.
He acknowledged that rains have failed in parts of the country and that drought still affects many communities. However, he insisted the current crisis does not reach that level.
“There is no rain, and there is drought. We pray to God for rain,” he said. “But it is nowhere near the situation of the 1990s.”
The minister argued that anyone who had truly witnessed that famine would not say something worse is happening today. “At least, let the old videos be replayed,” he added, referring to footage from that era.
Nur said politics cannot escape propaganda, but urged Somalis to treat such claims as political messaging rather than fact. “If there is a situation worse than the one where hundreds died in the 1990s, it exists only in the room where it was claimed,” he said.
He ended his statement with a prayer that the country never again sees famine on that scale.
High-stakes return
Farmaajo’s appeal on the economy comes as Somali leaders argue over how to organise national elections due in 2026. The dispute shapes the future of the political system and who will control the next phase of state-building.
On March 30, 2024, parliament approved changes to the provisional constitution. The amendments shift from indirect, clan-based voting to a “one person, one vote” system and extend federal terms from 4 to 5 years. They also expand the powers of the presidency.
Supporters of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud say the new rules will simplify politics and move Somalia away from improvised elite deals. They argue that universal suffrage is vital if the state is to gain real legitimacy after decades of conflict.
Opponents fear the amendments centralise too much power in Mogadishu and move ahead without broad consent.
Puntland later froze cooperation with the federal authorities in protest and warned that the new framework could damage the fragile balance between the centre and member states.
Opposition alarm
Farmaajo, who lost re-election in 2022 and then handed over power, now ranks among the most prominent opposition figures. He has not declared a 2026 run, but his allies expect him to play a central role in the race.
At the dinner in Mogadishu, he told lawmakers that the economic squeeze and the political transition are tightly linked. If leaders mishandle the shift to a new voting system, he said, Somalia could face both a disputed election and deeper hardship for citizens.
He urged MPs to “protect statehood and unity” and to manage the transition in a way that eases tensions between Villa Somalia and the opposition umbrella known as the National Salvation Forum.
The forum groups several former presidents and prime ministers who accuse the government of concentrating power and sidelining critics. Farmaajo is not part of the alliance.
Talks between Hassan Sheikh and members of the Salvation Forum broke down on August 13 without a deal.
Opposition leaders wanted the government to step back from some of the constitutional changes so all sides could first agree on whether, and how, to alter the charter.
They have repeatedly warned against an election that is not built on consensus, arguing that key international partners may hesitate to fund or recognise a vote that large political blocs reject.
Government under pressure
The president has shown some willingness to compromise. In late August, he signalled that, at least for the next cycle, federal MPs could continue to choose the head of state. Ordinary voters would directly elect local councils and legislators at both the state and federal levels.
That partial concession persuaded several well-known politicians, including some members of the Salvation Forum, to soften their stance. Other critics remain unconvinced and say any lasting deal must include a more exhaustive review of the March amendments.
Against this backdrop, Farmaajo’s return and his sharper tone on living costs highlight how politics and the economy now feed into each other.
By warning of a “deepening economic crisis in Somalia” and calling for salary rises and tax cuts, he is speaking to families who feel squeezed every time they visit the market.
Officials close to the presidency say they are working on broader reforms and on an election model that can satisfy most stakeholders.
For many Somalis, however, the immediate concern is simpler: enough food on the table, a job that pays on time, and a political settlement that does not drag the country back towards confrontation.
