Somalia Removes Supreme Court Chief Justice Before Expected Constitutional Ruling
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s outgoing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has dismissed Supreme Court Chief Justice Baashe Yusuf Ahmed and appointed Ibrahim Idle Suleiman to take his place.
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Sources told Axadle that Baashe’s removal was linked not only to his decision to annul the results of the recent Galmudug regional election, but also to efforts to stop an anticipated Supreme Court ruling on disputed constitutional amendments.
Baashe had been expected to travel to Mogadishu on Friday and deliver the court’s decision on Saturday regarding amendments to Somalia’s Provisional Constitution. Opposition figures have condemned the changes as unconstitutional and unlawful.
The ruling was expected to pose a serious setback for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration, which has continued pursuing the amendments despite strong resistance from opposition leaders and other political stakeholders.
According to the sources, the president removed Baashe before the scheduled announcement, preventing him from delivering the court’s anticipated decision.
Villa Somalia is also reportedly weighing steps to stop the dismissed chief justice from travelling to Mogadishu, the sources said.
In a move that underscores the leadership change, Hassan Sheikh appointed Ibrahim Idle Suleiman late Wednesday. Suleiman previously served as the president’s legal affairs secretary within the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP).
The appointment has intensified concerns about judicial independence, particularly as the constitutional amendments remain at the centre of a broader political and legal dispute.
Preliminary reports indicate that Baashe is preparing a response to Villa Somalia over accusations made against him by the presidency.
His dismissal further complicates Somalia’s escalating political crisis. The federal government and opposition leaders are already locked in disputes over constitutional reform, the electoral process and the legitimacy of the country’s political transition.
Neither Villa Somalia nor the Supreme Court had issued a detailed public explanation of the dismissal or the expected ruling.
AXADLETM
