Similarly, the untapped Uranium deposits in Galmudug are only awaiting the final technical and commercial "profit sharing agreements” for extraction. Nevertheless, despite all the positive attributes and opportunities in Galmudug, the state has not developed as it should since 2015. Instead, Galmudug continues to suffer from political fragmentation and insecurity. Despite overcoming the factionalism in the war against the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah militia, Galmudug under President Ahmed Qoorqoor continues to suffer from bloody large scale clan-based violence that has resulted in the tragic deaths of hundreds of thousands of Galmudug nomadic herders and civilians. Moreover, the insecurity facing Galmudug has been exacerbated by the extremist Al-Shabaab network whose own homicidal and callous leadership currently occupies the Ceelbuur District and previously in pockets of the coastal communities of Ceeldheer and Harardheere.

On the positive side, despite the tensions between the clans of Galmudug, they nevertheless form the very backbone of the Somali economy. For example, the proprietors of the Bakaraah Market,  the Mogadishu real estate developers and owners of the major telecommunications and financial banks of Somalia, along with the main political and economic magnets including the previous Presidents and Prime Ministers all hail from Galmudug state. Therefore, there is no reason why Galmudug with the right kind of political leadership and development agenda would not experienced the same level of sustained economic investment and real estate boom as Mogadishu and Nairobi.  

On the negative side, the interlocking obstacles of Galmudug State are the direct result of poor and weak political leadership and inter-clan peace. The lack of political vision, corruption and short-sighted goals has undermined the Galmudug state security forces, it has sustained corruption on all levels, including the executive, as well as fueled inter-clan violence and rivalries over pastures and water resources plaguing the state for generations. Consequently, the upcoming state elections for President of Galmudug State offers the only opportunity to reset Galmudug State altogether and put its diverse clan communities on the path to true prosperity, inter-clan reconciliation and peace, as well as the anticipated social and economic development.

In this respect, Mahad Mohamed Salaad is the only responsible leader who is capable of ushering in the required transformative change to comprehensively empower Galmudug State. Mahad Salaad, born and raised in Dhuusamareeb District, the capital of Galmudug State is the former Director General of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). Mahad led the successful counterinsurgency that degraded the Al Shabaab and dismantled the extortion system in Mogadishu. He also was the first to draft and successfully lobby for the adoption of the National Intelligence and Security Law. Mahad previously served as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somalia in 2014. In 2015, Mahad Salad was served as Minister of presidential affairs where he reconciled clans living in the Shilaabo District, Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia. Unsurprisingly, Mahad has been elected to represent Galmudug as a Three-time Member of the Federal Parliament of Somalia. Therefore, Mahad Salaad is the only viable political powerhouse to guarantee the security, development and prosperity of Galmudug.  

 

Unlike other so called Somali politicians, Mahad Salaad spent his formative years in the rural Central Somali heartland and therefore, intimately knows the deep clan histories, traditional personalities and concerns of diverse clans that call Galmudug home. Mahad Salaad has used clan customary laws and history to secure effective reconciliation, negotiated blood money settlements, and wider conflict resolution in Galmudug.

On the regional and international fronts, Mahad Salaad is cognizant of the divergent international agendas and geo-political rivalries between powers in Somalia. He has excellent relations with the United States, the UAE, Italy and UK, the Egyptians, Chinese and Turkey. Under Mahad Salaad Galmudug will be insulated from political conflicts and infighting in Somalia since it will have a "Zero-Problems” policy with neighbors.

 On the community-level engagement front ( perhaps the most important for security), Mahad Salaad commands widespread loyalty, deference and respect from even his political opponents for ensuring accountability, results-based performance and inter- clan harmony. Mahad Salaad is known for directly commanding security operations against disparate threats to peace emanating from clan militias, unscrupulous pirate gangs, religious fanatics, and drug traffickers, youth gangs and Al-Shabaab operatives. As his reputation precedes within Somalia, Mahad Salaad will uphold with an iron fist the security, the Law and Order of Galmudug, against all threats whether internal, external, or ideological.

In short, once elected President Mahad Salaad will completely transform Galmudug State into an oasis of Somali peace and thereby initiate unprecedented economic prosperity that will reverberate across all of Somalia and as well as the rest of the Horn of Africa.   The New Galmudug under President Mahad Salaad will endeavor to begin the technical steps for the production of both on-shore and off-shore oil and gas hydrocarbons; open the first commercial Uranium mine in Somalia as well as begin the construction of Hobyo Port to accelerate the export of Galmudug’s abundant livestock.