Wednesday September 2, 2026
Dhusamareb (HOL) — Galmudug Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nur Gacal accused President Ahmed Abdi Kariye Qoorqoor of ordering troops to close the parliament building in Dhusamareb on Tuesday as lawmakers prepared to begin a parliamentary session.
Speaking to BBC Somali, Gacal emphasized that the troops remained at the building and had orders from Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Kariye Qoorqoor to suspend parliamentary work.
He said some lawmakers who contacted Qoorqoor were told that the president argued an election process was underway and that there was no need to reactivate constitutional institutions while the election remained pending.
Gacal rejected that position, saying the constitution states that constitutional institutions should continue their duties until power is formally transferred to new institutions.
He said there are court rulings and election-related decisions accepted by the federal government and the electoral commission that must be implemented.
“So far, the troops are on us, and they have orders, as they told us, from the Galmudug president,” Gacal said.
He said the security situation inside parliament did not pose a direct personal threat to him or other lawmakers, but had stopped the movement and work of the legislature.
“I had been unable to communicate directly with Qoorqoor because of the forces surrounding the headquarters,” he added.
He linked the current dispute to the wider election dispute and tensions between the federal government and the Galmudug administration.
He said Galmudug institutions had been at a standstill for nearly five months because of an election dispute, which he said eventually led to concessions by the Galmudug president and an agreement between the federal government and Galmudug authorities.
Gacal said he believed the latest move was connected to those issues and decisions made during the election process.
He insisted that parliament should continue its work, saying lawmakers still need to address key issues, including preserving Galmudug’s unity and solidarity, resolving political disputes and responding to drought-related problems affecting communities.
He also said several laws require parliamentary work, while the date for the next election has not yet been officially announced.
Galmudug President Qoorqoor has not publicly responded to the accusations.
The dispute comes after Somalia’s Supreme Court last week annulled the results of Galmudug House of Representatives and local council elections and ordered fresh polls.
Chief Justice Bashe Yusuf Ahmed said the administration and conduct of the elections had deviated from constitutional principles requiring free, fair and impartial elections.
The court said the irregularities identified were not minor, but had seriously undermined the transparency, freedom and fairness of the elections and affected their outcome.
