Former Somali president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed’s Himilo Qaran opposition party on Sunday announced that the party filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government of Somalia for imposing travel restriction on the party leader while attempting to board plane from Mogadishu to Kismayo last month.
“The party filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court against the executive branch of the Government of Somalia because of their actions to bar the former president and Himilo Qaran party leader, Sheikh Sharif from traveling to Kismayo on 22 September, 2019,” Senator Ilyas Hassan, a member of the Somali Upper House (Senate) announced during a press conference in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Sunday.
The lawsuit mentions the cabinet of the ministers headed by the Prime Minister as the first respondent.
He said the opposition party wants to hold the government accountable for its unlawful actions saying that freedom of movement was the right of every citizen.
“Nobody is above the law. Every individual should not use extraordinary and unlawful powers, and if they do so, nobody will be allowed to go away with it,” he adds.
Late last month, Somalia’s government has suspended flights to and from Kismayu, the main city in the country’s southern Jubaland state. n September 22, authorities at Aden Abdulle International Airport barred ex-president, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed from boarding a flight to Kismayo.
The suspension which continued until early this month came ahead of the inauguration of Ahmed Mohamed Islam, known by his nickname “Madobe”, who was re-elected to lead Jubbaland in a controversial election in Kismayo.
Mogadishu refused to recognize the election result. The United Nations also wanted the vote to be postponed
Led by Sheikh Sharif, the Himilo Qaran is one of the opposition’s heavyweights in the country.
