NAIROBI, Kenya (AX) — A regional appeals court on Monday cleared Somalia’s representatives to take their seats in the East African Legislative Assembly, overturning earlier rulings that had blocked their participation and ending a months-long legal dispute over the country’s nomination process.
The decision paves the way for Somalia’s full engagement in the East African Community’s legislative body and removes a significant obstacle to Mogadishu’s regional integration efforts since joining the bloc.
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Somalia’s ambassador to Tanzania and the East African Community, Ilyas Ali Hassan, welcomed the ruling, calling it a victory for the rule of law and for Somalia’s standing within the regional organization.
“This decision enables Somalia to fully participate in the work of the East African Legislative Assembly and strengthens our role within the East African Community,” he said, adding that it reflects Somalia’s broader push to deepen regional cooperation.
Monday’s ruling reverses a decision issued in November by the East African Court of Justice, which suspended the swearing-in of nine Somali lawmakers to the assembly after a petition challenged the legitimacy of the selection process carried out in Mogadishu.
The petition, filed by Somali academics and politicians, alleged that the elections were politically influenced, that qualified candidates had been excluded and that East African Community procedures were violated. It further accused Somalia’s Federal Parliament of flouting appointment rules in a way that favored government-linked candidates while sidelining others.
The court’s November suspension effectively left Somalia without representation in the regional legislature while the case was under review, limiting its ability to help shape debates on cross-border trade, security cooperation and regional integration policy at a crucial moment for the bloc.
By clearing the way for the nine lawmakers to be sworn in, the appeals ruling restores Somalia’s voice in the East African Legislative Assembly’s deliberations. EALA, the lawmaking organ of the East African Community, crafts legislation and policy recommendations that underpin the bloc’s common market, transport corridors, health cooperation and political coordination among member states.
Somalia formally joined the East African Community in 2023, a milestone seen as part of Mogadishu’s strategy to re-anchor the country in regional institutions after decades of conflict and isolation. Participation in EALA is a core feature of membership, providing national delegations a platform to influence the rules and standards that govern the region’s economies and shared security challenges.
The legal dispute over Somalia’s EALA nominations had become an early test of its institutional alignment with the bloc. Monday’s ruling removes uncertainty around the composition of Somalia’s delegation and allows the country to contribute to pending legislative business alongside fellow members.
Details on the timing of the lawmakers’ swearing-in were not immediately available. But the decision is expected to trigger procedural steps to seat the Somali delegation, completing a process that was halted in November.
For Somalia, securing its seats in Arusha is both symbolic and practical. It signals a consolidation of its EAC accession and ensures the country’s priorities—from market access to coordinated security measures—can be represented in the region’s lawmaking forum.
Regional observers say the ruling also underscores the EAC legal system’s ability to resolve disputes that arise as the bloc expands and harmonizes procedures across diverse political environments.
With the appeals decision in place, Somalia now moves from the sidelines into the legislative chamber—an important step in turning membership into meaningful participation in East Africa’s integration project.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
