President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has removed Chief Justice Baashe Yusuf Ahmed and restored Ibrahim Idle Suleiman, citing complaints from judges and lawyers. The move comes while the Supreme Court is considering former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed's challenge to amendments to the provisional constitution.
Somalia's president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, dismissed the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Baashe Yusuf Ahmed, on Wednesday 4 November and reinstated his predecessor, Ibrahim Idle Suleiman. A presidency statement, reported by Hiiraan Online, TRT Afrika and Dawan Africa, said the decision followed complaints from judges, judicial staff and legal professionals about the need for "a transparent and fair judiciary".
The president also ordered "comprehensive reforms of the judicial institutions" so that citizens have access to "a transparent and reliable justice system". He urged the new chief justice to protect judicial independence and uphold the rule of law. The statement did not set out any specific allegation against Baashe or say whether disciplinary proceedings had taken place. Baashe has not commented publicly.
A return after eight years
Suleiman was first appointed chief justice in 2016, during Hassan Sheikh's first term. President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo dismissed him on 27 May 2018 and appointed Baashe, also citing complaints from judges and legal professionals. After Hassan Sheikh returned to office in 2022, Suleiman served as his legal adviser. Garowe Online describes him as having been the president's legal affairs secretary in the Justice and Solidarity Party.
Pending cases
The change comes less than three months after the Supreme Court under Baashe annulled the results of Galmudug's 30 July parliamentary and local council elections. The court ruled that they had breached constitutional and electoral requirements, and a rerun was held on 30 September. The court is also considering a petition filed on 11 October by former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. The petition seeks to invalidate amendments to the provisional constitution and the decisions that flowed from them, including the 2027 election framework.
Garowe Online, citing unnamed sources, reported that Baashe had been expected to announce a ruling on the amendments within days. It said his removal was intended in part to pre-empt that ruling. The presidency has not made any such link. As Hiiraan Online noted, no independent evidence has established that the petition prompted his removal. CERHA treats the claim as unconfirmed.
Opposition figures argue that the amendments and the electoral framework were adopted without the required legal procedures and without broad political agreement. They warn that this could lead to rival electoral processes.
Image: Official portrait of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of Somalia, 2022. Government of Somalia, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.