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Security forces surrounding the high court building intensified administrative tensions in Mogadishu after Somali troops deploy around supreme court, chief justice ordered to leave, judge says. According to statements provided by a sitting senior judge, armed personnel established checkpoints along access roads leading to the judicial complex shortly after the court issued a ruling invalidating a presidential decree aimed at replacing the head of the judiciary. The physical presence of security forces at the legal headquarters marks a sharp escalation in the unfolding standoff between executive authorities and the judicial branch.
The military deployment directly follows a ruling by the Supreme Court nullifying an executive order issued by the President of Somalia, which sought to remove Chief Justice Baashe Yusuf Ahmed and reappoint former Chief Justice Ibrahim Idle Suleiman. The judicial panel declared the executive dismissal unconstitutional, asserting that statutory procedures require the Supreme Judicial Council to initiate any leadership changes within the judiciary. However, judicial officials reported that security personnel subsequently instructed Chief Justice Ahmed to vacate his official chambers, blocking regular administrative operations inside the compound.
Government representatives have not issued a formal operational breakdown regarding the security presence, though executive officials previously stated that leadership changes were initiated to address administrative complaints and restore public confidence in judicial management. Legal analysts and constitutional scholars caution that physical intervention at the highest court risks undermining judicial independence and creating administrative paralysis across national legal institutions. Opposition figures and civil society representatives have publicly called for an immediate withdrawal of armed forces from judicial premises to prevent further institutional instability.
As Somali troops deploy around supreme court, chief justice ordered to leave, judge says, international observers and legal advocacy groups are monitoring developments closely to evaluate the impact on the rule of law. Domestic stakeholders continue to urge both executive leadership and judicial authorities to resolve the administrative impasse through constitutional mechanisms. The situation around the judicial complex in Mogadishu remains closely watched as legal representatives seek clarification on the operational status of the court.