‘Only Those Carrying Guns Feel Safe’: Ousted Chief Justice Accuses Hassan Sheikh of Threatening His Security

MOGADISHU, Somalia – The ousted Supreme Court Chief Justice Baashe Yusuf Ahmed has said he no longer feels safe in the capital, accusing the term-ended President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of posing a threat to his personal security following a court ruling on the president’s term of office.

Speaking at a news conference in Mogadishu on Saturday, Baashe said he feared for his safety and could no longer count on living securely in the capital.

“I do not feel safe in Somalia’s capital. My security is threatened by the president whose term of office the court ruled had expired,” Baashe said.

His remarks came days after Hassan removed him from his position on Wednesday, triggering a dispute between the presidency and the judiciary over the legality of the dismissal.

Five Supreme Court judges subsequently issued a ruling declaring that the president’s term had expired, constitutional amendments were unlawful and Hassan lacked the legal authority to dismiss the court’s chief justice.

The ruling has further deepened tensions between Somalia’s government institutions, with reports that security forces had taken control of the Supreme Court headquarters in Mogadishu.

Baashe and the five judges who issued the ruling have reportedly faced security concerns after their personal protection teams were withdrawn.

The former chief justice and the five judges have since reportedly taken refuge at the residence of former Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

Questioning the security situation in the capital, Baashe asked how ordinary Somalis could feel safe in Mogadishu if senior government officials themselves could not secure adequate protection.

He also questioned how officials travelling from other parts of the country could feel safe in the capital if even the country’s judges were exposed to such risks.

“Today, only those carrying weapons can feel safe in Mogadishu,” he said.

Despite expressing concern over his personal safety, Baashe voiced hope for Somalia’s future, saying he hoped the country would one day establish a system of justice in which armed and unarmed citizens alike would be equal before the law.

The dispute centres on competing interpretations of the constitution, the terms of federal institutions and constitutional amendments backed by Hassan.

The presidency had not publicly responded to Baashe’s allegations concerning threats to his personal security at the time of publication.

GAROWE ONLINE