Defense Minister Declares the Country Has ‘Only Two Parties’: The Federal Government (JCP) and Al-Shabaab

Mogadishu (WDN) – A stunning statement by Somalia’s Minister of Defense, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, has sent shockwaves through the country’s political establishment after he publicly declared that Somalia effectively has “only two parties”—the Federal Government of Somalia (JCP) and Al-Shabaab, the militant group designated as a terrorist organization by Somalia, the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and numerous other countries.

The extraordinary remark has triggered fierce political backlash, with critics questioning how the country’s defense minister could describe an armed insurgent movement responsible for thousands of civilian and military deaths as a “political party.”

Fiqi made the comments while discussing Somalia’s political and security landscape, arguing that the country’s reality is not defined by competition among multiple political organizations but by a struggle between two opposing forces: the Federal Government (JCP) and Al-Shabaab.

While government supporters interpreted the statement as rhetorical language intended to emphasize the gravity of the war against the militants, critics say the choice of words represents a profound political and strategic misstep. For many observers, the statement raises uncomfortable questions about how the Federal Government now frames its conflict with Al-Shabaab.