Africa: Somalia - a Government With One Foot Out the Door

Somalia's government crisis is highlighted by its reliance on foreign passports, which serve as both a travel document and a means of governance and exit. On June 24, 2026, Second Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji was deported from Kenya for having a fraudulent passport, and State Minister Abshir Bukhaari was denied entry for similar reasons just two weeks later.

Both officials were forced to return to Mogadishu, and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ordered cabinet ministers to surrender their foreign passports or resign six weeks later. This crackdown has led multiple cabinet ministers to comply with the ultimatum. However, the issue does not affect only senior officials; state advisors, technical staff, and parliamentary majority members also use foreign passports to facilitate their movements and exit.

These passport holders typically reside in Mogadishu, clustered near the airport, and their administrative tools have been relocated to their hotel rooms, effectively moving the function of the state to a departure lounge. This phenomenon is not isolated, as 38% of the Federal Parliament members held foreign passports in the 10th Parliament in 2017, and many of these MPs continue to serve.

The MPs and senators often have dual citizenship, with most being from Western countries like Canada, Norway, and Sweden. As a result, the political landscape of Somalia is divided into factions associated with Western cities, reflecting shared contacts and exit options.