Hiiraan Online

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud warned Wednesday that the world is on a “dark and dangerous path” as rising nationalism and fragmented responses to global crises threaten the rules-based international order, calling instead for renewed international solidarity to confront existential threats.

Speaking at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Mohamud said member states were straying from the UN’s founding principles of peace, security, and development.

“Eighty years on since the first UN General Assembly, we should have already been better together, not seeking to justify why we cannot be better together today,” he said. “Instead of asking what is right under international law, we are witnessing the unapologetic rise of national might to settle disputes.”

Mohamud cited worsening conditions for fragile states, noting that more than 30 UN members, including Somalia, face instability driven by conflict, weak institutions, and climate change. He pointed to food insecurity as a growing crisis, saying the World Food Program estimates 319 million people in 67 countries face acute hunger.

“These stark and startling facts must give us all pause for reflection,” he said, urging nations to redouble efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. “If we as a community of nations are serious about progress, we must strengthen multilateralism, solidarity, and shared action.”

The Somali leader highlighted his country’s work as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, pledging to advance peace and stability beyond its borders.

“We are actively working with all Security Council members to find solutions for peace in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe,” he said.

Mohamud devoted part of his address to the war in Gaza, calling for urgent action to ease Palestinian suffering. “The ongoing violence, displacement, and deprivation in the occupied territories, including Gaza, demand our collective conscience and urgent action,” he said. He urged “an immediate and lasting ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access, and renewed commitment toward the two-state solution.”

Turning to Somalia’s internal transition, Mohamud said the country is preparing to hold its first universal suffrage election in 57 years, part of broader reforms to consolidate democracy and stability.

“Somalia was Africa’s first democratic nation in the 1960s, and we are proudly returning to that path of inclusive governance once again,” he said. More than 40 political associations have already registered to participate in upcoming polls.

The president credited Somali security forces and community defence groups for their fight against al-Shabaab and ISIS, saying their sacrifices have “made our people and citizens across the world safer.” He vowed operations would continue “until we achieve complete victory and harmony in our country, our region, our continent, and the wider world.”

Mohamud warned that climate change is worsening fragility in developing nations like Somalia, which contributes “almost nothing” to global emissions but endures some of the harshest consequences. Droughts, floods, and displacement, he said, are eroding livelihoods and reversing hard-won gains.

“For us, climate change is not an abstract. It is a horrible reality of disrupted and destroyed lives,” he said. Somalia has created a National Climate Fund to channel resources directly to vulnerable communities but has struggled to access international financing.

On the economy, Mohamud said Somalia is building on recent debt relief reforms by raising domestic revenue and tightening financial controls. He noted that Somalia has joined the East African Community, is ratifying African Continental Free Trade Area policies, and is advancing World Trade Organization membership.

Mohamud closed his address by framing Somalia as both a country rebuilding from decades of conflict and a partner ready to contribute to global peace and development.

“When we all work in unison, we are truly better together,” he said. “No nation can stand alone in the face of threats that respect no frontiers.”