A judge in Somalia’s Jubaland State has issued an arrest warrant for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, citing a series of grave charges including human rights abuses, corruption, and alleged ties to the Al-Shabaab terrorist organization. The warrant, signed by Dr. Muse Osman Gedi, a judge in Kismayo, follows a case filed by the Attorney General of Jubaland.

The charges laid out in the warrant are extensive and serious. They include violations of the Somali constitution, undermining national unity, and collaborating with Al-Shabaab, a designated terrorist group. Other allegations include illegal arms trafficking, the unlawful killing of civilians (including minority groups), embezzlement of state funds, and land grabbing targeting vulnerable populations. Additionally, the charges accuse Mohamud of exacerbating the civil war, committing crimes against humanity, and inciting armed rebellion to destabilize Somalia’s constitutional framework.

The Kismayo court has directed law enforcement to apprehend President Mohamud, who currently leads the Federal Government of Somalia. Should the warrant be carried out, it could result in the President’s arrest anywhere within Somalia, with the possibility of him being handed over to the regional court. If convicted, the charges could lead to severe punishments, including a long prison term or even the death penalty.

This legal action comes amidst growing tensions between Jubaland and the Somali central government, which has been locked in disputes, particularly following the re-election of Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe) as Jubaland’s President.

In a further development, a group of Somali lawmakers has filed a lawsuit at the European Court of Human Rights against President Mohamud and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The lawsuit accuses both of orchestrating the unlawful deportation of Somali migrants, some of whom were fleeing severe human rights abuses and seeking asylum in Germany. The case alleges that President Mohamud accepted bribes and facilitated the deportations for personal gain, further intensifying the controversy surrounding his leadership.