Somali MP Files Landmark Human Rights Case Against President Hassan Sheikh and Premier Bank

Mohamed Jamal — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 08:41:29 +0000

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.

In this photo taken on December 17, 2024, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is seen participating in the launch of a new hotel and mall construction project by Premier Bank on public land, following the eviction of vulnerable families in Mogadishu.

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.

The post Somali MP Files Landmark Human Rights Case Against President Hassan Sheikh and Premier Bank appeared first on Kaab TV.

U.S. Sanctions Yemeni Bank That Has Dealings with Somali Groups

Kaab TV News Editor — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 12:24:15 +0000

MOGADISHU, Somalia (Kaab TV) -The U.S. Treasury’s decision to sanction Yemen Kuwait Bank for Trade and Investment (YKB) is reverberating in Mogadishu, where the bank has been involved in financial transactions.

Accused of supporting the Houthi militia and engaging with Somali groups, YKB’s operations are now under scrutiny for facilitating illicit financial activities tied to regional conflicts.

The Houthis are a U.S.-designated terrorist organization responsible for attacks on U.S. military personnel, regional allies, and international commerce in the Red Sea.

The San’a-based bank has also been linked to financial dealings with Somali groups and institutions, raising concerns about the extent of its involvement in regional instability.

In its statement, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) emphasized Yemen Kuwait Bank’s role in providing critical financial channels for the Houthis to access international financial systems.

“The Houthis rely on a few key financial institutions like Yemen Kuwait Bank to finance their destabilizing attacks in the region,” said Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith. The U.S. has pledged to disrupt these illicit networks and support the internationally recognized Government of Yemen in safeguarding the banking sector.

Links to Iran and Militant Groups

The Houthis are reported to use Yemen Kuwait Bank to transfer funds from Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF).

These funds are laundered through complex networks involving exchange houses, banks, and front companies.

According to the U.S. Treasury, the Houthis also collaborate with Lebanese Hizballah and exploit Yemen’s financial sector to finance Iranian oil sales and other illicit activities.

The Houthis have extended their operations to Somalia, engaging in illicit arms trade with groups such as Al-Shabaab and the Islamic State (ISIS).

Somali warlords and clan militias are also implicated in these trades, exacerbating conflict and endangering civilian lives.

Reports have highlighted the involvement of Somali financial institutions in facilitating transactions tied to illicit activities.

Premier Bank in Mogadishu, in particular, has been flagged as a conduit for money transfers between Yemen and Somalia through its hawala unit known as Jubba Express.

Intelligence sources suggest these transactions include funds laundered through real estate investments in Mogadishu, which militants use to conceal finances and diversify income sources.

Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group, has increasingly engaged in local industries such as real estate, fuel imports, and hotel businesses, including operations outside Somalia.

The group has also been reported to manufacture explosives locally and seeks advanced weaponry, including drones and missiles, through networks in Yemen.

In August 2024, Al-Shabaab issued threats to Somali banks cooperating with the government after new taxes were imposed.

According to sources, a settlement was reached between the group and several banks, including Premier Bank, allowing militants to ease financial transactions through banks and the widely used hawala system.

Kenya’s National Terrorism Financing Risk Assessment Report from December 2023 identified Somalia as the highest-risk source of terrorism financing.

Somali remittances to Kenya and Uganda in 2023, amounting to $180 million and $21.9 million annually, have raised alarms about unregulated financial flows.

Premier Bank Mogadishu’s 62.5% acquisition of Kenya’s First Community Bank in 2023 has further stoked concerns.

Financial experts and political figures in Kenya, such as Francis Gaitho, have pointed to Somali investments in Nairobi’s real estate sector as a potential avenue for money laundering.

Reports suggest that Somali oligarchs, diaspora members, and corrupt officials dominate these markets, outbidding local investors and monopolizing lucrative opportunities.

“The real estate sector in Kenya, once a bastion of opportunity for native entrepreneurs, has been significantly infiltrated by Somali oligarchs.

These individuals possess vast resources, often derived from dubious sources, allowing them to outbid investors and monopolize lucrative markets,” Gaitho stated.

In response to the sanctions, Yemen Kuwait Bank described the U.S. decision as politically motivated, denying any violations of international banking standards.

“The timing and motivations behind the aforementioned decision have a political background related to the current escalation between the United States and the government of Sana’a,” the San’a-based Bank said.

The U.S. Treasury’s designation of Yemen Kuwait Bank under Executive Order 13224 demonstrates a decisive step in dismantling financial networks that support terrorism and regional destabilization.

However, effectively curbing terror financing and money laundering requires comprehensive scrutiny of Somalia’s financial institutions.

Without robust oversight from regional and international stakeholders, experts warn that these illicit financial flows will continue to undermine security and stability in the region.

The post U.S. Sanctions Yemeni Bank That Has Dealings with Somali Groups appeared first on Kaab TV.

Premier Bank Somalia Archives - Kaab TV

Somali MP Files Landmark Human Rights Case Against President Hassan Sheikh and Premier Bank

Forced Evictions and Illegal Asset Seizure

U.S. Sanctions Yemeni Bank That Has Dealings with Somali Groups

Links to Iran and Militant Groups