Mogadishu – Somalia’s former Commander of the Somali Custodial Corps, General Mahad Abdirahman Aden, has been placed under house arrest without a court order after being dismissed this week, sources familiar with the matter report.
According to sources, General Mahad’s personal security detail has been withdrawn and his movements are under surveillance. The federal government has neither confirmed nor denied these reported restrictions with an official statement.
The Council of Ministers appointed General Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Hamud as the new commander of the Custodial Corps on Wednesday, replacing Mahad. The Ministry of Justice had proposed this change, though officials did not publicly state the reasons for the dismissal.
General Mahad is the son-in-law of Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen. His dismissal and subsequent reported house arrest occur amid escalating tensions between Mogadishu and the Southwest administration.
Several political figures, including former government officials, have accused the federal government of bypassing legal procedures.
Mohamed Abdi-Ware, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), demanded the immediate lifting of any restrictions imposed on the former commander, stating that citizenship rights cannot be denied without due process.
Former intelligence chief Fahad Yasin also urged authorities to clarify the situation and release Mahad if he is detained, warning that such actions could lead to unpredictable political consequences.
Abdirahman Abdishakur, leader of the Wadajir Party, strongly condemned what he referred to as the targeting of a political figure.
“It is unacceptable and violates Somali law, religion and cultural norms to target an individual based on their lineage or relationship to someone with whom there is political disagreement,” he stated.
He warned that such actions recall factional-era practices characterized by coercion and abuse of power, and argued that they erode public trust in state institutions.
“General Mahad must be immediately released from house arrest and his full freedom, dignity and rights restored,” Abdishakur added.
These developments occur amid widening political rifts between the federal government and several regional administrations. Relations have deteriorated significantly since parliament approved constitutional amendments extending federal institutions’ mandate from four to five years, changes rejected by Southwest, Puntland and Jubbaland, as well as multiple opposition groups.
Southwest State has formally suspended ties with the federal government, accusing Mogadishu of interference in its political and security affairs. Political analysts suggest that the restrictions on the former commander risk further deepening divisions within Somalia’s fragile federal system.