Somalia’s 11th Federal Parliament has formally reached the end of its four-year mandate today, a development that has intensified an already sharp political and constitutional dispute over the legitimacy of the country’s federal institutions.

Members of both chambers of the Federal Parliament were sworn in on 14 April 2022, meaning their constitutional term expired on 14 April 2026. The expiration applies to the entire legislature, including the leadership of both houses, members of the House of the People, and senators of the Upper House.

The issue has emerged at a particularly sensitive political moment, as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is also nearing the end of his term, with approximately one month remaining in office. At the same time, the Federal Government of Somalia recently approved controversial constitutional amendments that extend the term of state institutions from four years to five, a move that has drawn significant criticism from opposition groups and some federal member states.

Speaker of the House of the People, Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe, has previously maintained that Parliament will continue to operate under the provisions of the amended constitution. His position has further deepened the legal and political debate surrounding the status of the legislature after the expiry of its original mandate.

Opposition politicians, supported by the administrations of Puntland and Jubbaland, have strongly rejected that interpretation. They argue that the parliamentary term has ended in accordance with the original constitutional timeline and insist that any attempt to extend its authority lacks legal basis. According to opposition figures, the matter is also being raised with international partners in an effort to build pressure on the federal government.

The dispute is expected to heighten tensions over constitutional order, institutional legitimacy, and the future direction of Somalia’s electoral and governance process, at a time when the country is already facing a fragile and contested political landscape.