Somalia’s foreign ministry has welcomed a decision by the East African Court of Appeal that clears the way for nine Somali nominees to take their seats in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and fully participate in its proceedings.

The ruling, delivered on Monday, overturned earlier court orders that had suspended the swearing-in of Somalia’s nominees to the parliament.

The East African parliament is the legislative arm of the East African Community (EAC), a regional bloc, and is located in the Tanzanian town of Arusha.

“This decision restores Somalia’s rightful representation in EALA and strengthens our engagement with the East African Community,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The dispute over Somalia’s nominees to the assembly arose following the country’s admission to the EAC in 2024.

Membership entitles Somalia to full participation in all EAC organs, including the legislative assembly, where each member state is allocated nine seats.

In October 2025, Somalia’s federal parliament nominated nine members to represent the country in EALA during a joint sitting of both houses—the House of the People and the Upper House—held in Mogadishu.

The nominations were presided over by Speaker of the House of the People, Aden Mohamed Noor (Madobe), with 222 MPs casting votes.

Each seat was contested by two candidates, with winners determined by simple majority.

The nominees were: Abukar Abdi Osman, Hussein Hassan Abdi, Sahra Ali Hassan, Ilhan Ali Gassar, Fadumo Abdullahi Mohamud, Abdisalam Hadliye Omar, Faisal Abdi Roble, Abdirahman Bashir Sharif, and Fahmo Ahmed Noor.

Inclusivity and transparency

But the nomination was challenged in court, with petitioners questioning whether the process fully met EAC treaty requirements on inclusivity, transparency, and political representation.

The case was initially heard by the East African Court of Justice, which issued interim orders blocking the swearing-in of the Somali nominees.

As a result, Somalia was left without representation in EALA while other member states continued to participate in legislative sessions.

Somalia and the EAC Secretariat subsequently appealed, arguing that the interim measures interfered with Somalia’s rights as a full member of the community and limited the country’s ability to contribute to regional lawmaking, oversight, and policy decisions.

The East African Court of Appeal ruled that the earlier injunctions were no longer justified and lifted the orders preventing Somalia’s nominees from taking up their seats.

The decision allows for the nine Somali MPs to be sworn in and immediately begin participating in debates, committee work, and voting on legislation affecting the East African Community.

Somali Ambassador to Tanzania and the EAC, Ilyas Ali Hassan, welcomed the ruling, describing it as a major step forward for Somalia’s engagement with the bloc.

In September 2025, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud formally congratulated the nominees, noting that their selection represented a national achievement and reflected Somalia’s ongoing recovery.