Somalia’s Ports Minister Warns Against Undermining Legislative Authority

MOGADISHU – Somalia’s Minister of Ports and Maritime Transport, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, has issued a sharp rebuke to political figures attempting to delegitimize the country’s formal legislative processes, urging all political actors—especially opposition groups—to respect constitutional norms and the rule of law.

“Why do legislative institutions exist? Why does the Constitution grant them the authority to enact laws?” the minister asked rhetorically in a statement shared on Sunday. “They are the highest bodies responsible for producing the legal framework by which the nation is governed.”

His remarks appeared to target opposition voices who have recently challenged laws passed by the Somali Parliament, with some suggesting they should be reversed without due process.

“If a politician can sit at home and declare, ‘This law is void, repeal it,’ then what is the point of having legislative bodies?” Nur continued.

Addressing the opposition directly, he said: “Come back to the law. The Somali people are literate, and they understand the Constitution and the limits of authority.”

The minister concluded with a message of democratic reassurance: “With God’s permission, power will be returned to the people.”

The comments come amid increasing political tensions in Somalia, as the federal government accelerates legal and electoral reforms aimed at transitioning the country toward direct, one-person-one-vote elections.