Sunday February 23, 2025
Speaker of Somalia’s House of the People, Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur (Madoobe), presides over a parliamentary session at the Federal Parliament in Mogadishu
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia's Speaker of Parliament, Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur (Madoobe), has reinstated 15 lawmakers who had been barred from attending parliamentary sessions for nearly three months. The decision, announced on Saturday, allows the MPs to resume their legislative duties, but it has also reignited political tensions, with accusations that the initial suspensions were orchestrated to silence dissent against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
The lawmakers had been suspended following a disruptive incident in Parliament on November 27, 2024. Among them was MP Hassan Abdi Ismail, widely known as "Xildhibaan Firimbi," who was accused of assaulting a parliamentary security officer. Others faced penalties, including salary deductions and temporary bans from sessions, after being accused of obstructing quorum formation and violating parliamentary rules.
While Speaker Madoobe framed the decision as a necessary procedural correction in line with parliamentary regulations, not all lawmakers are convinced.
One of the reinstated MPs, Mohamed Ali Omar, known as "Caana Nuug," dismissed the initial suspension as politically motivated. He claimed the ban had been imposed to prevent lawmakers from challenging the president's leadership.
"The so-called penalty had nothing to do with the law. It was meant to ensure that no one questioned the president or pointed out that he is leading the country in the wrong direction," Caana Nuug told reporters. "This was a personal directive funnelled through Aden Madoobe and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre."
FILE - Somali MP Mohamed Ali Omar, known as "Caana Nuug"
The timing of the reinstatement, which came just days after President Mohamud addressed a joint session of both houses of Parliament, has fueled speculation that the move was linked to shielding the president from public embarrassment.
"Why was the suspension suddenly lifted right after the president's speech? It's obvious—they didn't want anyone heckling him. But let me be clear: we will not allow a small group to dictate this country's future as they please," Caana Nuug added.
Under Somalia's parliamentary rules, the Speaker has no unilateral authority to impose suspensions without following due process. Critics argue that the initial decision violated these regulations, making the reversal inevitable. The controversy has once again highlighted concerns about political interference in legislative affairs.
While the reinstatement formally restores the lawmakers' ability to participate in parliamentary debates and votes, the episode has deepened divisions within the House. Opposition lawmakers have vowed to resist what they see as a concerted effort to stifle dissent.