By Shire Abdi - Reporter
Somalia 2 July 2026 – Former Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said he plans to run for Somalia’s presidency and ruled out Prime Minister return.
Speaking in an interview with Dawan Media’s Mizan Podcast, Sharmarke said he had already served twice as prime minister during difficult political periods and was no longer interested in the role.
“The prime minister’s position is not a profession,” Sharmarke said. “If the same person is brought back again and again, then it becomes a profession.”
Asked whether he had any interest in returning as prime minister in a possible political settlement, Sharmarke said he had not discussed such an opportunity and was not seeking the post.
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He said he believed he had done what he could during his previous terms as prime minister, adding that if he still had a role to play, it would be through the presidency office.
“If anything remains for me, it is that I should run for that seat(the presidency),” he said. “That is the seat I am running for.”
Sharmarke also said he could still contribute to political solutions while outside government, adding that resolving Somalia’s political disputes did not necessarily require him to return to the premiership.