Somali opposition files legal complaint against President Hassan Sheikh

MOGADISHU, Sept 25 – Somalia’s political opposition has filed a formal legal complaint against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and senior government officials, accusing them of corruption, human rights abuses, and unconstitutional actions, in a move that threatens to deepen the country’s growing political crisis.

The complaint, announced Tuesday by the Forum for National Salvation — a coalition of high-profile opposition leaders including former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed — comes amid escalating tensions in the capital, Mogadishu.

According to the opposition bloc, the Hassan Sheikh administration has illegally amended key provisions of the 2012 Federal Constitution, delayed regional elections, and engaged in the sale of public land, leading to the forced displacement of vulnerable families.

“The country is now facing a serious political and constitutional crisis that threatens both state-building and national security,” the group said in a statement. It accused the president’s administration of consolidating power while neglecting the fight against Al-Shabaab.

The Forum also called on Somalis inside and outside the country to stage peaceful protests against what it described as an “illegitimate and corrupt regime.”

The government has yet to officially respond to the legal challenge, but the complaint comes just a day after a violent confrontation occurred outside the Warta Nabadda District Police Station in Mogadishu. Federal authorities blamed the opposition for attempting to storm the station, a charge the opposition has not directly addressed.

Political analysts warn that the unfolding standoff could further destabilize Somalia’s fragile institutions and complicate efforts to hold long-delayed regional and national elections.

— GAROWE ONLINE