Somalia uneducated speaker lower house of People Adan Madobe. File Photo Somali Times
By MP Dr. Abdillahi Hashi Abib
As a Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of the People of the Federal Parliament of Somalia, I am compelled – out of deep anger, frustration, and profound disappointment – to bring to your immediate attention an unprecedented and unlawful assault on Somalia’s democracy, constitutional order, and human dignity.
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Also, I would like to bring to your attention – with profound frustration, disbelief, and an overwhelming sense of institutional betrayal – that the international community is closely observing the shocking and unconstitutional developments unfolding within the Federal Parliament of Somalia. At the centre of this growing crisis is the deeply alarming conduct of the current Ex-Speaker of the House of the People, H.E. Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe, whose recent actions have not only violated the law but have fundamentally endangered the very integrity of Somalia’s democratic institutions.
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With heavy disappointment, I MUST express that the Ex-Speaker, who was entrusted with the solemn duty of upholding the Constitution, protecting the rights of members, and safeguarding democratic procedures, has instead chosen to weaponize the parliamentary process, suppress dissent, and entrench his personal political survival above the will of the people and the supremacy of the law. There is growing and justified outrage that standard parliamentary procedures have been flagrantly disregarded, and that the Ex-Speaker is now acting with an alarming degree of unchecked and unlawful authority, turning the House of the People into a theatre of coercion, violence, and fear.
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On the morning of 30 April 2025, during a constitutionally protected session of the House of People, Ex-Speaker with the complicity of five sitting ministers of the current government (Minister of Livestock Hasan Husein Mohamed (Eeley), Deputy Minister of Transportation Mohamed Abdulqadir Haji (Jeego), State Minister of Défense Omar Ali Abdi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Isaaq Mohamed Mursal, State Minister of Family Affairs Mohamed Osman Omar), committed multiple serious violations of the Provisional Constitution, parliamentary procedures, the Somali Penal Code, and Somalia’s binding international obligations.
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The Ex-Speaker deployed armed police inside the parliamentary chamber, an act in direct violation of Article 71 of the Provisional Constitution and Rules 35 and 94 of the Rules of Procedure, designed to protect Parliament’s independence from executive interference.
The five ministers, operating under clear instructions from Villa Somalia and the Prime Minister, engaged in premeditated physical assaults – beating MPs, and police forces who take direct order from the Ex-Speaker attacked journalists at gunpoint, and destroying press equipment – to suppress the lawful exercise of parliamentary duties and media freedoms.
It is with profound concern that we note the appalling and discriminatory language used by Ex-Speaker on the floor of the House of the People – language that not only disrespects individual Members of Parliament but also brazenly violates fundamental constitutional and international human rights principles.
In an egregious display of contempt, the Ex-Speaker publicly humiliated Hon. Mohamed Ali Omar (Caananuug), a legislator living with a disability, by shouting.
“You disabled person, sit down.”
This reprehensible act of discrimination was compounded by his further degradation of Hon. Dahir Amin Jeesow, a respected elder and senior statesman, with the words:
“You are an old man, sit down.”
Even more scandalously, Ex-Speaker directed a sweeping and misogynistic attack against women Members of Parliament, reducing their status and silencing their voice entirely. He is reported to have stated:
“Women are nothing,” and disparaged a female Member of Parliament, saying she is “a woman who has no power, cannot express her opinions, and cannot say what is wrong or right.”
The Ex-Speaker’s words and conduct demonstrate a deeply entrenched prejudice that not only humiliates individual members – particularly women, disabled persons, and elders – but also strikes at the heart of Somalia’s constitutional order, which is built on principles of equality, dignity, and respect for all.
Such discriminatory language and behavior are not merely offensive; they are unlawful under Somali constitutional law and binding international human rights obligations. They reflect a dangerous erosion of legislative decorum and an alarming normalization of bigotry within the nation’s highest legislative body.
These actions demand immediate condemnation and corrective measures to uphold the rule of law, protect the dignity of all Members of Parliament, and reaffirm Somalia’s commitment to its constitutional and international human rights obligations.
In response to a lawfully filed impeachment motion against the Ex-Speaker by 110+ Members of the House of People, Ex-Speaker illegally banned 20 Members from attending parliamentary sessions, without any disciplinary procedures or lawful justification. Instead of disciplining these five ministers – who brazenly violated the Provisional Constitution, parliamentary procedures, and the Somali Penal Code – the Ex-Speaker took the shocking step of disciplining the very MPs who had been harassed, bullied, intimidated, and physically attacked.
This grotesque inversion of justice is a stark demonstration of impunity and a clear signal that Ex-Speaker sees himself as above the law. In his distorted view, his word is law, overriding Somalia’s Constitution and legal framework. This is not only unacceptable – it is a textbook impeachable offense, reinforcing the necessity of the current impeachment proceedings and proving beyond any doubt that he cannot and must not continue to occupy the Ex-Speaker’s chair.
The unprecedented banning of 20 Members of Parliament, combined with credible threats to detain or prosecute other MPs opposing the Ex-Speaker, marks a dangerous slide toward authoritarianism. These actions have no legal basis, no moral justification, and no place in a democratic society. Instead of defending the Constitution, the Ex-Speaker has transformed the House into a chamber of repression – abusing state power to silence dissent and obstruct the rule of law.
I am not merely disappointed – I am appalled and enraged that such conduct is being carried out by the highest legislative officer in the land. It represents the collapse of parliamentary ethics, the corruption of constitutional norms, and a grave threat to Somalia’s democratic future.
Legal Violations:
Provisional Constitution:
Article 13: Violation of the right to personal security and protection from violence.
Article 11: Breach of equality and non-discrimination, particularly in the targeted abuse of Hon. Mohamed Ali Omar (a disabled MP) and Hon. Dahir Amin Jeesow (an elder MP) and women.
Article 18: Violation of freedom of the press and expression.
Article 60 and 61: Illegal obstruction of MPs’ constitutional right to attend and participate in parliamentary sessions.
Parliamentary Rules of Procedure.
Rules 6, 7, 8: MPs’ rights to table motions and participate in debate must be upheld.
Rule 35 and 94: Security personnel are strictly forbidden from intervening in parliamentary sessions.
Rule 47: Protects the independence of MPs from any form of coercion or intimidation.
Somali Penal Code
Article 428 (Assault): Ex-Speaker, Ministers and security forces committed physical assault.
Article 435 (Violence in Public Institutions): Illegal acts of violence inside Parliament.
Article 269 (Abuse of Office): Abuse of authority to commit unlawful acts.
Article 457 (Obstruction of Parliamentary Duties): Criminal interference with parliamentary functions.
International Law
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Gross violation through public humiliation and discriminatory abuse of Hon. Mohamed.
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights: Violation of rights to dignity, equality, and freedom from violence.
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Articles 19 and 21: Violations of freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and protection of MPs and journalists.
These abhorrent statements from Ex-Speaker constitute direct violations of the following legal instruments.
Article 11 of the Provisional Constitution of Somalia, which enshrines the principle of equality and prohibits discrimination on any grounds, including gender, age, or disability.
Article 24 of the Provisional Constitution, guaranteeing the full and equal participation of women in political and public life.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which Somalia has ratified and is obligated to uphold.
The African Union Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), affirming the political rights and dignity of women.
I urge and demand that international parliamentarians, donors, diplomatic missions, and all stakeholders in Somalia’s democratic development take swift, decisive, and public action.
o Immediately suspend all technical support, training, and parliamentary cooperation programs involving Ex-Speaker and the five implicated ministers until they are removed from office and fully investigated.
Issue a public condemnation of these egregious violations and commit to zero tolerance for violence, intimidation, and discrimination within Somalia’s parliamentary process.
Support an independent and transparent international investigation into the events of 30 April 2025, in cooperation with Somali legal bodies and civil society.
o Demand the Ex-Speaker’s immediate resignation to restore constitutional order and safeguard the independence and integrity of Somalia’s parliamentary democracy.
Failure to act decisively will render all international stakeholders complicit in these grave violations. Continued cooperation with Ex-Speaker and his enablers, despite documented abuse, will undermine the credibility of international democracy-building efforts in Somalia and embolden authoritarian impunity.
This behaviour is not only morally repugnant but legally actionable under both Somali constitutional law and international human rights frameworks.
The Implications Are Clear
The actions of Ex-Speaker and these ministers have:
Shattered parliamentary integrity.
Eroded the rule of law.
Violated fundamental human rights.
Unleashed unchecked authoritarianism.
The actions of Ex-Speaker and his enablers are unconstitutional, illegal, immoral, and indefensible. They have eroded the trust and dignity of the Federal Parliament, trampled on the basic rights of its members, and demonstrated flagrant contempt for the values of democracy, transparency, and rule of law. These developments reflect a growing pattern of authoritarianism, political repression, and impunity at the highest levels of Somalia’s government.
The international community must not remain silent. Silence is complicity. Inaction is endorsement. If the international community continues to engage with Ex-Speaker in his current capacity, despite these documented acts of violence, discrimination, and lawlessness, it will be viewed as complicit in the destruction of Somalia’s democracy and the systemic abuse of power now gripping the legislative process.
This is not just a Somali crisis – it is a crisis of global democratic principles.
We appeal to your conscience, to your values, and to your commitment to democratic governance and human rights. Please do not turn away. The international community’s failure to act decisively now would render it complicit in the rampant abuse, violence, and flagrant violations of Somalia’s parliamentary order and democratic principles.
This is a defining moment. Either we collectively uphold the integrity of democratic governance and human rights, or we allow the willful destruction of Somalia’s fragile democracy.
We trust you will choose justice.
The eyes of Somalia – and indeed the world – are watching. The Somali people have placed their trust in the principles of democracy, human rights, and rule of law that international partners claim to uphold. I appeal to you, your conscience, commitment, and sense of justice to take meaningful and immediate action.
History will remember where each of us stood in this defining moment.
I, the undersigned Member of House of People, categorically state that these ministers, along with Ex-Ex-Speaker, will be held accountable through criminal prosecution, parliamentary censure, and legal action under both domestic and international law.
Respectfully,
MP Dr. Abdillahi Hashi Abib – BA, MA, MASc, Ph.D
Member of Foreign Affairs Committee
The Federal Republic of Somalia, the House of People
Mogadishu, Somalia
MP- HOP #201 Awdal Region and Gebileh District
Leader of the Accountability and Transparency Caucus of the House of People