Somalia's top court rejects president's term extension amid political crisis

Somalia's Supreme Court has ruled that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud unlawfully extended his term, escalating a political crisis and a standoff between the presidency and judiciary.

Thursday's ruling came a day after Mohamud dismissed Chief Justice Bashe Yusuf Ahmed - a move which the court said the president lacked the authority to take.

The court also ordered political leaders to agree on an electoral plan within 30 days and hold elections within 90 days, potentially disrupting government plans for nationwide polls next year.

Mohamud's four-year mandate expired in May, but his administration extended it by a year through law changes approved by parliament in March.

Opposition groups accuse him of using the constitutional changes to prolong his rule.

But the president insists the reforms are necessary to move Somalia towards fully democratic elections, replacing the clan-based system in which elders pick their representatives.

Somalia last held nationwide direct elections in 1969 and has been wracked by civil war for more than 30 years, with Islamist militant group al-Shabaab controlling many rural areas.

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On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that the constitutional changes could not be applied retrospectively to the president's current term.

In a separate decision, the court declared the chief justice's dismissal "null and void", accusing the presidency of interfering with judicial independence.

The president appointed Ibrahim Idle Suleiman, who previously held the position, to replace Ahmed.

The presidency said the dismissal followed complaints about the administration of justice and was intended to achieve a just and transparent judiciary.

But the court rejected that explanation, insisting that the chief justice could only be removed through established constitutional procedures.

Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed welcomed the court ruling, saying "the country is facing a grave political crisis", calling on Mohamud to embrace a consensus-based approach.

The confrontation escalated on Thursday when former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire accused the president of deploying security forces to the Supreme Court and attempting to arrest its chief justice.

Khaire accused the president of launching an "assault on the Supreme Court", according to the AFP news agency.

"Somalia stands at a dangerous juncture. The dismantling of our judiciary is a direct threat to the rule of law," he said.

AFP said it could not independently verify the reported security deployment, although photographs circulating in Somali media appeared to show armed personnel inside the court compound.

The rulings have thrown Somalia's electoral timetable into uncertainty.

The electoral commission has scheduled parliamentary elections for 15 April 2027 and a presidential vote a month later, but opposition groups and the regional administrations of Puntland and Jubaland reject the timetable.

Mohamud has called for national talks from 14 to 18 November to resolve the deadlock, but opposition leaders have questioned his legitimacy to convene the discussions.

The political turmoil comes as Somalia continues to battle al-Shabaab, which controls large parts of the countryside despite years of military operations.

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 about Somalia's security.

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