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The Somali opposition condemns troop deployment at Supreme Court, accuses Hassan Sheikh of judicial interference after security forces surrounded the national legal complex in Mogadishu. In a joint declaration issued following emergency consultations, prominent opposition leaders and civil society representatives denounced the physical presence of armed personnel around the judicial headquarters. The opposition figures asserted that using state security apparatuses to restrict judicial operations represents a direct violation of constitutional checks and balances and threatens national democratic governance.
The sharp political reaction follows a high-stakes constitutional ruling by the highest court, which declared a presidential decree seeking to replace Chief Justice Baashe Yusuf Ahmed unconstitutional. The judicial panel ruled that the President of Somalia lacks the legal authority to remove the head of the judiciary without formal recommendations from the Supreme Judicial Council and subsequent legislative approval. Shortly after the verdict was issued, senior judicial officials reported that armed security personnel established checkpoints around the compound, preventing court personnel from conducting normal administrative operations.
Addressing journalists in Mogadishu, opposition representatives declared that the executive branch’s actions risk plunging the capital into administrative instability. Coalition leaders called for the immediate withdrawal of security forces from the judicial premises, arguing that judicial independence must be preserved regardless of political differences. Conversely, government representatives maintained that executive administrative decisions were intended to address internal management complaints within the court system, denying allegations of unconstitutional overreach.
The ongoing confrontation has drawn significant concern from legal analysts, international partners, and human rights organizations monitoring institutional stability in the country. Legal experts emphasize that adhering to constitutional procedures and protecting the separation of powers remain essential for maintaining public confidence in national legal institutions. As the Somali opposition condemns troop deployment at Supreme Court, accuses Hassan Sheikh of judicial interference, domestic stakeholders continue to call for urgent political dialogue to resolve the executive-judicial standoff through peaceful legal mechanisms.