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MOGADISHU, 7 November 2026 Somalia on Saturday swore in Ibrahim Idle Suleiman as chief justice of the Supreme Court, amid a dispute over a ruling by some of the court’s judges on the government’s term of office.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who attended the ceremony, urged the new chief justice to carry out his constitutional duties with integrity, honesty and responsibility, stressing the importance of judicial independence, respect for the law and equal justice, the presidency said in a statement.
The speaker of the lower house of parliament, the first deputy speaker of the upper house, the prime minister and the minister of justice and constitutional affairs also attended.
The swearing-in follows the removal of former Chief Justice Bashe Yusuf Ahmed.
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On Thursday, five judges of the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Division ruled that the terms of the president, parliament and federal government had expired. They directed political actors to agree on an electoral model within 30 days and to hold elections within 90 days.
The Attorney General’s office rejected the ruling on Friday, saying it had no legal effect and accusing the judges of violating the court’s structure because the chief justice had not presided over the panel.
The opposition, including the Somali Salvation Forum, backed the judges’ ruling.