Federal Government of Somalia in the context of Parliament of Somalia

A constitutional crisis emerged in Somalia on 30 March 2024, when the Federal Parliament of Somalia approved a series of constitutional amendments aimed at establishing a more "stable political system". These changes included a return to universal suffrage, replacing the decades-old clan-based electoral system, and granting the president authority to appoint the prime minister without requiring parliamentary approval. Critics argued that the reforms significantly expanded executive power. In response, the semi-autonomous state of Puntland announced the following day that it was withdrawing its recognition and confidence in the Federal Government of Somalia. Puntland called for a "mutually accepted Somali constitution that is subject to a public referendum" and declared that, until such a constitution is in place, it would operate independently.

On 28 November 2024, the semi-autonomous government of Jubaland suspended relations and cooperation with the federal government after the latter issued an arrest warrant for Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe, accusing him of treason and revealing classified information to foreign entities.

The president of Somalia (Somali: Madaxaweynaha Soomaaliya) is the head of state of Somalia. The president is also commander-in-chief of the Somali Armed Forces. The president represents the Federal Republic of Somalia, and the unity of the Somali nation, as well as ensuring the implementation of the Constitution of Somalia and the organised and harmonious functioning of the organs of state. Currently, the president of Somalia is indirectly elected, chosen by the Federal Parliament of Somalia.

The office of the President of Somalia was established with the proclamation of the Republic of Somalia on 1 July 1960. The first president was Aden Abdullah Osman Daar, and the 10th office is currently held by Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujāhideen, simply known as Al-Shabaab, or by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Somalia, is a Sunni Islamist militant and political movement based in Somalia. It is involved in the ongoing Somali Civil War as an Islamist group, regularly invoking takfir to rationalize its terrorist attacks on Somali civilians and civil servants. Allied to the pan-Islamist militant organization al-Qaeda, it is also in a more limited capacity active elsewhere in East Africa, and has forged ties with other insurgent groups like AQIM and AQAP.

Formed in the mid-2000s as a youth militia within the wider military wing of the Islamic Courts Union, Al-Shabaab came to prominence during the 2006–2009 Ethiopian invasion and occupation of Somalia, during which it presented itself as a vehicle for the waging of armed resistance against the occupying Ethiopian army. In subsequent years, it gained popular support from Somalis and became a dominant force in south and central Somalia, defending large swathes of territory by fighting against the African Union Mission to Somalia and the Federal Government of Somalia, as well as the latter's transitional predecessor. Al-Shabaab gained international prominence due to its recruitment of foreign fighters, including fighters who are from Western countries. Countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates have designated it as a terrorist organization, and the United States has militarily intervened in order to fight against the group.

The prime minister of Somalia (Somali: Ra'iisul wasaaraha Soomaaliya) is the head of government of Somalia. There have been 22 official prime ministers since the office was created in 1956. The first prime minister was Abdullahi Issa, who served prior to independence in the Trust Territory of Somaliland. The current prime minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia is Hamza Abdi Barre, approved by the House of the People on 25 June 2022.

Since the mid-2000s, the United States has provided military support to the Ethiopian National Defence Force, African Union troops, the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and its successor, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), in their conflicts with Somali Islamist actors.

U.S. military involvement in Somalia dates back to the 1990s with the UNITAF and UNOSOM II operations. With the global war on terror in the early 2000s, renewed U.S. military action was framed as counterterrorism. Successive administrations under George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden have conducted airstrikes, special forces missions, intelligence operations and training programs against Islamist groups in the country.