Somalia’s Supreme Court has ruled that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud extended his time in office unlawfully, deepening a political crisis and a confrontation between the presidency and the judiciary. The judgment was handed down on Thursday, a day after the president removed Chief Justice Bashe Yusuf Ahmed, a step the court said he had no authority to take.
The president’s four-year mandate ran out in May. His administration then stretched it by a year through law changes that parliament approved in March. The court found those amendments could not be applied retrospectively to his current term.
Court rejects term extension under new law changes
Opposition groups accuse Mohamud of using the constitutional changes to hold on to power for longer. He argues that the reforms are needed to shift Somalia toward fully democratic elections, moving away from a clan-based system in which elders choose representatives.
The court also ordered political leaders to agree on an electoral plan within 30 days and to hold elections within 90 days. That order could upset the government’s plans for nationwide polls next year.
Chief justice’s dismissal declared null and void
In a separate decision, the court declared the dismissal of the chief justice “null and void” and accused the presidency of interfering with judicial independence. Mohamud had appointed Ibrahim Idle Suleiman, who had previously held the post, to replace Ahmed.
The presidency said the removal followed complaints about how justice was being administered, and that it aimed to build a fair and open judiciary. The court rejected that explanation, insisting the chief justice could only be removed through established constitutional procedures.
Claims of armed deployment near the court
The standoff escalated on Thursday when former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire accused the president of sending security forces to the Supreme Court and trying to arrest its chief justice. Khaire described the move as an “assault on the Supreme Court”.
“Somalia stands at a dangerous juncture. The dismantling of our judiciary is a direct threat to the rule of law,” Khaire said. The reported deployment could not be independently verified, although photographs circulating in Somali media appeared to show armed personnel inside the court compound.
Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed welcomed the ruling, saying “the country is facing a grave political crisis”. He called on Mohamud to adopt a consensus-based approach.
Electoral timetable thrown into doubt
Somalia last held nationwide direct elections in 1969, and it has been torn by civil war for more than 30 years. The rulings have now cast its electoral calendar into uncertainty. The electoral commission has scheduled parliamentary elections for 15 April 2027, with a presidential vote a month later, but opposition groups and the regional administrations of Puntland and Jubaland reject that timetable.
Mohamud has called national talks for 14 to 18 November to break the deadlock, though opposition leaders have questioned his legitimacy to convene them. The turmoil comes as al-Shabaab, which controls large parts of the countryside despite years of military operations, continues to pose a threat. Uganda, the largest contributor of troops to the African Union mission fighting the militants, announced this week that it planned to withdraw its forces by the end of the year, adding to concerns over security.
