Somalia's Supreme Court ruled Thursday that constitutional amendments extending the terms of the president and parliament were null and void, ordering political stakeholders to agree on an electoral framework within 30 days and hold elections within 90 days.

The five-member Constitutional Division determined that the mandates of parliament and the federal government expired on April 14, 2026, while President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's term ended on May 15, 2026. All actions taken by those institutions after the expiration dates were declared unconstitutional and unlawful.

The ruling came in response to a challenge by former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. It invalidated provisions that had lengthened terms from four to five years under amendments passed earlier in 2026.

A day earlier, President Mohamud announced the dismissal of Chief Justice Baashe Yusuf Ahmed via a Facebook post from his office and appointed a replacement. The court separately declared that dismissal null and void, stating the president lacked authority to remove the chief justice and accusing the move of attempting to obstruct justice in the constitutional case.

Shortly after the verdict, Somali security forces deployed more than 30 military vehicles to the Supreme Court premises and forced the chief justice out of the complex.

The decision intensifies Somalia's ongoing political crisis, which stems from disputes over electoral reforms aimed at shifting from a clan-based system to direct suffrage. Critics have accused the president of using the extensions as a power grab, while the government has cited the need for time to implement nationwide democratic elections originally slated for 2027.

The country continues to face threats from the Al-Shabaab insurgent group amid the leadership uncertainty.