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

What the report says

Somalia’s Supreme Court has ruled that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s extension of his term was unlawful, deepening a political dispute between the presidency and the judiciary, according to BBC Africa. The decision came shortly after the president removed Chief Justice Bashe Yusuf Ahmed, a move the court said he had no constitutional power to make.

The court also said the chief justice’s dismissal was invalid and ordered political leaders to reach agreement on an electoral framework within 30 days, with elections to follow within 90 days. That ruling puts pressure on plans for nationwide votes next year and adds uncertainty to Somalia’s already fragile political timetable.

BBC Africa reports that Mohamud’s four-year mandate ended in May, but parliament had backed changes in March that extended his term by one year. Critics say the reforms were used to prolong his rule, while the president has argued they are needed to move Somalia toward direct elections instead of the clan-based system in which elders choose representatives. The dispute comes as Somalia continues to face security threats from al-Shabaab and a difficult political environment.

The electoral commission has separately set parliamentary and presidential elections for 2027, but opposition figures and the regional administrations of Puntland and Jubaland reject that schedule. The president has called national talks for mid-November, though opponents question whether he still has the legitimacy to lead them.