Somalia Supreme Court rejects presidential term extension

Somalia is facing an intensifying institutional crisis following a Supreme Court ruling that declared the one-year extension of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s mandate illegal. The court determined that constitutional amendments adopted in March could not be applied retroactively to the current term, which the judiciary maintains should have ended in May.

The court has ordered political parties to reach an agreement on an electoral framework within 30 days and set a 90-day deadline for organizing elections. This decision follows a period of high tension, including the presidency’s dismissal of Supreme Court Chief Judge Bashe Yusuf Ahmed. The court has contested the president’s authority to revoke the Chief Judge, accusing the administration of attempting to obstruct the administration of justice.

Former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire has alleged that the president launched an attack on the Supreme Court, including the deployment of soldiers to court premises. He further claimed that the Chief Judge and lawyers were targeted at their homes, though these specific allegations have not been independently verified. The dispute highlights broader tensions within Somalia’s federal system regarding the roles of the central government, regional states like Puntland and Jubaland, and the process for constitutional reform.