NAIROBI, Kenya (Kaab TV) – A groundbreaking human rights case has been filed against Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Premier Bank Limited in Mogadishu.
The case, brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is spearheaded by Somali Member of Parliament Abdullahi Hashi Abib, a staunch advocate for human rights and transparent governance.
MP Abib filed the complaint on January 29 on behalf of former employees of the Central Bank of Somalia (CBS).
The case also lists CBS Governor Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (also known as Abdi Mohamed Abdullahi) as a co-defendant.
The lawsuit accuses the Somali president, Premier Bank, and the CBS governor of forcibly evicting vulnerable families and unlawfully seizing property owned by former CBS employees.
According to the application obtained by Kaab TV, the plaintiffs argue that these properties were illegally transferred to Premier Bank via an executive order issued by President Mohamud, despite a final ruling by a Somali court affirming the employees’ ownership rights.
Forced Evictions and Illegal Asset Seizure
“Hon. Dr. Abdullahi Hashi Abib is filing this case on behalf of CBS employees whose properties were unlawfully transferred to Premier Bank through an illegal executive order,” the application states.
The lawsuit further alleges that Premier Bank knowingly acquired these assets under the illegal order, and instead of depositing the funds into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) as required by law, payments were directly made to President Mohamud and Governor Abdullahi.
Filed under Article 36(2) of the ICJ Statute, the case invokes the court’s jurisdiction over international law violations, state corruption, financial crimes, and human rights abuses, including the right to property.
The plaintiff is requesting the ICJ to:
- Declare the executive order null and void and restore full ownership rights to affected CBS employees.
- Order the Somali government and CBS to comply with the Somali court ruling and compensate affected employees for damages.
- Impose legal and financial sanctions on President Mohamud, Governor Abdullahi, and Premier Bank for their unlawful actions.
- Investigate and prosecute the alleged diversion of sale proceeds into private accounts.
- Issue an injunction preventing Premier Bank from engaging in further transactions involving disputed assets until full legal compliance is ensured.
This case comes amid a surge in forced evictions across Mogadishu, where thousands of vulnerable families, including women and children, have been rendered homeless.
Powerful land grabbers continue to tighten their grip on the city, exacerbating the crisis.
In the latest wave of evictions, thousands of families living in Ex-Carwada Qaranka, an abandoned government property in central Mogadishu, were forcibly removed last week.