Mogadishu – In a dramatic and controversial move, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has reportedly annulled the country’s existing citizenship and nationality provisions.
Speaking at a public function, HSM declared: “If you are holding a foreign passport, you are not a Somali.”
He further directed that all Somali nationals carrying foreign passports will now be treated as “foreigners” and required to apply for visas through a newly introduced – and already controversial – e-visa system in order to visit Somalia.
The decision, if implemented, could impact more than 2 million members of the Somali diaspora who hold passports from countries such as the UK, US, Italy, and Canada.
Condemnation of the president’s pronouncement has mounted rapidly. Legal experts argue that the move blatantly contradicts Somalia’s provisional constitution, overturns long-standing citizenship norms, and violates the fundamental right of Somalis to freely return to their homeland.
Political observers warn that HSM’s stance risks alienating the influential diaspora community, whose remittances and investments are considered vital to Somalia’s fragile economy.
HornCurrent will continue to follow this developing story.
