By Judy Maina
NAIROBI, Kenya — A newly formed opposition alliance in Somalia is facing early turbulence after reports emerged suggesting covert infiltration by state-aligned political figures within its ranks, casting a shadow over the coalition’s ambitions to mount a credible challenge to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration.
The group, calling itself the Somali National Salvation Forum, was unveiled Saturday following three days of closed-door negotiations among leading opposition figures in Mogadishu.
The forum’s structure—comprising a chairperson, three deputies, a secretary, and a spokesperson—bears striking resemblance to the organizational model of President Hassan’s own new political party, the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP), in what analysts describe as a deliberate attempt to project readiness to govern.
“The mirroring is intentional,” said a political strategist who attended the meetings but requested anonymity to discuss internal matters.
“It signals to donors, diplomats, and domestic powerbrokers that this isn’t a fragmented protest bloc. It’s a government-in-waiting.”
But even as the coalition positions itself as a viable alternative, internal concerns have begun to emerge over what some members describe as potential “strategic penetration” by political figures allegedly aligned with Villa Somalia, the presidential palace—who may be posing as moderate opposition voices to manipulate internal debates and leak sensitive deliberations.
The suspicion has prompted a rush to implement information control protocols, including the compartmentalization of sensitive planning sessions and the vetting of key advisors.
“We are reviewing who sits in which room,” said another senior opposition official.
“There is a real fear that this whole effort could be derailed. We need to have strict measures in place and implement information firewall.”
The formation of the Forum marks a rare moment of unity in Somalia’s fractious political landscape, bringing together former presidents Prime ministers, parliamentarians, and influential political heavyweights who have often clashed over strategy and ideology.
Yet unity remains fragile.
“The Forum’s biggest threat may not come from Villa Somalia, but from within its own tent,” said Hassan Mohamed, a political analyst based in Nairobi.
“If infiltration fears spiral into open mistrust, the coalition could fracture before the 2026 elections even enter full gear.”
Amid an intensifying political climate, the emergence of the Somali National Salvation Forum introduces both opportunity and volatility ahead of heated election cycle.
The coalition’s durability—and its capacity to withstand state-backed subversion—may well determine the direction of Somalia’s electoral path.
(Additional reporting by our correspondent in Mogadishu, editing by John Thiongo)
