During his opening statement at the Annual Judiciary Conference yesterday president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud asked the Somali people to give his political decisions time and support him. He also said how important it is for his government to build professional legal institutions the public can have trust in. This all sounds nice but is he not the one allowing for the auctioning of public property without any legal procedure and oversight? Is this illegal and secretive land grabbing by Hassan Sheikh Mohamuds friends and associates above the law? What about the illegal mass evictions of poor Somali people which includes women and children? The Somali Judiciary remains silent and is complicit in these actions. Why are they silent when opposition and religious leaders have said this is a national crime?
Justice in Somalia under Hassan Sheikh is far away. It is not even a dream because of the nightmare of constant corruption and poverty today. From employing his family members in government institutions and senior positions to the failed corruption trials when he came to office, the justice system in Somalia has failed under Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The Minister of Justice also has zero credibility and has destroyed the ministry. The police is led by a political appointee given the job only to discredit the President of Puntland state Sacid Deni. Also local and national courts judgements are not enforced and can be bought at a price according to citizens. So where is the justice in Somalia?
If Hassan Sheikh Mohamud wants to improve justice in Somalia he has to start by replacing family members with qualified civil servants and advisers. He has to publish the public lands he illegally gave away and how much was paid for them by which people to whom. He has to also sack the unqualified judges making bad decisions everyday. These changes need leadership, honesty and care for his people. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud struggles with all these.
