Thursday November 7, 2024
FILE - Salah Ali Mohamud, head of the Banadir Regional Court, addressing the media. Mohamud recently warned district leaders in Mogadishu to refrain from interfering in court rulings on land and property disputes, emphasizing that judicial authority rests solely with the courts."
Mogadishu (HOL) — The head of the Banadir Regional Court, Salah Ali Mohamud, issued a warning on Monday to district leaders in Mogadishu, ordering them to refrain from intervening in court rulings on land and property disputes. Mohamud said that the authority to enforce legal decisions rests solely with the judiciary, not district officials.
In a statement issued Monday, Mohamud directly addressed recent remarks by several district officials who had suggested they might enforce property rulings. "A district chairperson's duty is to maintain cleanliness and public order, not to enforce legal decisions," Mohamud said. "Their authority does not extend into judicial matters, which are the court's exclusive responsibility."
The court chief added that district leaders would be held legally accountable for any actions that encroach on the judiciary's domain, signalling potential disciplinary measures for officials who overstep their roles.
"Only the court adjudicates disputes between claimants and property owners," Mohamud stated. "District administrations are neither informed of specific rulings nor permitted to act on them. Any interference is a direct violation of judicial authority."
According to Mohamud, the court is responsible for resolving disputes over land ownership and property rights in Banadir, where high-value land disputes are increasingly common and sensitive. Following the collapse of Barre's government in 1991, the ensuing civil war further fragmented land ownership, leading to unregulated land grabs and disputes among clans, elites, and returnees, often at the expense of vulnerable populations. The regional court has recently handled a surge of such cases, reflecting the intricacies of property ownership in the area, often leading to tension between judicial and administrative authorities.