Somali president signs multiple bills passed swiftly by parliament

At a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Mogadishu on Monday night, eight measures were officially signed into law by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The Anti-Terrorism Act, the Law on the Management of Underground Resources, the Law on Investment and Investor Protection, the Law on Identity and Public Registration, and the Law on the Creation of the Somali Immigration and Citizenship Agency, among other laws, were all signed.

President Mohamud praised the Lower and Upper House Speakers for swiftly passing the bills, which he described as the cornerstone of the Somali government and the implementation of a contemporary governance system, during the ceremony.

A new anti-terrorism law was unanimously approved by the lower house of the Somalian Parliament at the beginning of March. With the help of the legislation, government security forces will be better able to fight and eradicate terrorism in Somalia. The bill’s critics are concerned about the bill’s expansive definition of what constitutes terrorism, and they have warned that if it passes, it might grant government security services disproportionate and unrestrained power.

Human Rights Watch cautioned President Mohamud against signing the law, saying it would give the nation’s oppressive intelligence agency undue power.

Human Rights Watch’s Deputy Africa Director, Laetitia Bader, recommended that the Somali government not just consent to the spy agency’s broad authority. The government ought to promote accountability and set limits on its power. In order to ensure that the bill upholds human rights and prohibits abusive practices by intelligence officers, Bader urged Somalia’s international allies to express their concern about the bill’s problematic provisions. He also urged the government to revise the bill.

President Mohamud complimented the Cabinet and Somali specialists for their work on the bills despite concerns about the speed at which the laws were implemented. According to him, the rapid approval of so many is a historic accomplishment that highlights the value of inter-agency cooperation. Although the first and second sessions of the current parliament were canceled due to a lack of quorum, certain politicians and political observers have expressed worries about the issues.