Somalia's Supreme Court rules president's term expired, orders elections within 90 days

Somalia's Supreme Court has ruled that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's term has expired and ordered elections within 90 days, deepening the country's power struggle. ABC News, carrying an Associated Press report, said the decision came on Thursday, a day after Mohamud dismissed the chief justice. The presidency had not responded to the ruling by Friday, according to the same report. UA.News, citing BBC News, reported that the court found the one-year extension of his term illegal.

What we know

• ABC News reported that the court's five-page judgment, reviewed by The Associated Press, rejected the president's position that constitutional changes let him stay in office until 2027, and said parliament's move from four- to five-year terms did not give current officeholders another year.
• UA.News, citing BBC News, reported that the court told political leaders to agree on an election plan within 30 days and hold elections within 90 days.
• Benin Web TV reported that the court set the end of the presidential term at May 15, 2026, and at April 14 for the two chambers of Parliament.
• ConstitutionNet reported that the court rejected the first part of former president Sharif's petition because he lacked legal standing under Article 86 of the Provisional Constitution, but accepted the second part, on the legality of measures arising from the constitutional changes.
• ABC News reported that the presidency cited complaints about the administration of justice and the need for judicial reform when it dismissed Chief Justice Baashe Yusuf Ahmed, while UA.News reported that the court declared the dismissal invalid and that the president appointed Ibrahim Idle Suleiman to the post, which UA.News said he had previously held.
• UA.News reported that the electoral commission had scheduled parliamentary elections for April 15, 2027, and presidential elections a month later, a timetable the opposition and the regional administrations of Puntland and Jubaland opposed.

What we don't know yet

• ABC News reported that the presidency had not responded to the ruling by Friday, so its position on the judgment is not yet known.
• ABC News reported that the judges did not name a replacement president or specify what would happen if the deadlines were missed.
• ABC News said Hiiraan Online reported that government troops deployed around the Supreme Court on Thursday and that the chief justice was ordered to leave, but the AP could not independently verify this; UA.News said AFP likewise could not confirm the deployment of security forces, which former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire alleged.
• ABC News quoted Adnan Abdi Ali, a political analyst at the Somali Center for Studies in Mogadishu, as questioning whether the ruling would be enforced, and no source says how it will be carried out.