By HAN News Desk
NAIROBI– Nine prominent Somali politicians have announced the formation of a new political alliance known as the National Dignity Union, declaring former Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdoon “Saacid” as their joint candidate for Somalia’s 2026 presidential election.
In a statement released on Monday, the group said the new alliance was established following “a series of extensive consultations” assessing the country’s ongoing political, security, and economic challenges.
The leaders said their aim is to “restore unity, integrity, and hope” in Somalia — a nation they described as “deeply divided and in crisis.”
“The leaders acknowledged the damage to the unity and solidarity of the country, the collapse of the economy, the neglect of social services, and the loss of faith in the Somali state,” the joint statement read.
The founding members — all of whom have reportedly resigned from their previous political affiliations — include:
1. Abdikarin Hussein Guuleed
2. Fahad Yasin Haaji Daahir
3. Mohamed Abuukar Islow Duale
4. Thabit Abdi Mohamed
5. Guuleed Salah Bare
6. Abdi Adan Hoosow
7. Abdirizak Khilaaf Ahmed
8. Faarax Ali Shire
9. Duale Adan Mohamed
Political analysts in Mogadishu say the move could significantly alter Somalia’s political landscape ahead of the 2026 polls, uniting several influential figures who in the past stood on opposing sides of the political divide.
While the National Dignity Union has yet to unveil a detailed political programme, sources close to the alliance say it plans to prioritise rebuilding public trust, reforming state institutions, and promoting national reconciliation amid ongoing insecurity and political fragmentation.
The group’s endorsement of Abdi Farah Shirdoon, who served as prime minister from 2012 to 2013, is seen as a strategic bid to rally centrist forces around a single candidate capable of appealing to a broad spectrum of Somali voters.
No response has yet been issued from the current administration regarding the new alliance, but observers expect the announcement to intensify political manoeuvring as the country moves closer to its next electoral cycle.
