Somalia’s Supreme Court has ruled that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s one-year term extension is unlawful, deepening a dispute over the country’s leadership.
The court ruled on Thursday that constitutional amendments approved in March could not be applied to the president’s current term, which expired in May. The five-judge panel also found that parliament’s mandate had ended in April, according to Somalia Today. The judges gave political leaders 30 days to agree on an electoral framework and ordered elections within 90 days.
The ruling followed a legal challenge filed by former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed in October against the constitutional changes and their application to current officials. He also rejected the new election timetable, warning that it could lead to “parallel elections, political divisions, internal conflict, and a threat to Somalia’s statehood.”
The ruling also came a day after the current president announced the dismissal of Chief Justice Bashe Yusuf Ahmed and appointed his predecessor, Ibrahim Idle Suleiman, as his replacement. The court rejected the dismissal, calling it “null and void.” It accused the presidency of attempting “to obstruct the administration of justice in the constitutional case filed before the Supreme Court,” AFP reported.
The dispute follows an October announcement by Somalia’s electoral commission that parliamentary elections would be held on April 15, 2027, followed by a presidential vote on May 15.
The March constitutional amendments increased presidential and parliamentary terms from four to five years. Mohamud’s government argued that the changes allowed an additional year to prepare for nationwide elections, replacing the indirect system in which lawmakers elect the president. Under the previous system, clan delegates selected members of parliament, who then voted to elect the head of state.
Meanwhile, the security situation in the country remains difficult. Somalia continues to face attacks by Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked militant group fighting the federal government. The terrorist group conducts raids, bombings, and targeted assassinations in an effort to destabilize the Somali government and regional security structures.
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