HARGEISA (Idilnews) — Somaliland’s security forces have detained MP Mohamed Abib, a prominent opposition member of the House of Representatives, upon his return to Hargeisa from the United Arab Emirates on Monday.
The arrest follows recent efforts by the Somaliland prosecution to have Abib’s parliamentary immunity lifted, amid accusations related to controversial remarks he reportedly made about the Somaliland military and the Somali National Movement (SNM).
The prosecution has been pushing for Abib to face charges after he allegedly described the SNM as a “brutal paramilitary militia” responsible for massacres in the Awdal region during the Somali Civil War in 1991.
Officials and parliamentarians, speaking to VOA Somali, confirmed that Abib was apprehended at Hargeisa’s Egal International Airport. The MP, who is known for his outspoken criticism of Somaliland’s leader, Muse Bihi Abdi, and his party’s ruling, Kulmiye party,
In July, Somaliland’s Attorney General requested the House of Representatives impeach Abib. Among the allegations brought against him were claims that he had met with officials from the Somali Embassy in Djibouti to discuss matters related to Somaliland’s military, further exacerbating tensions.
However, in mid-August, a parliamentary session called to discuss the removal of Abib’s immunity failed to reach the necessary quorum, leaving the matter unresolved. It remains unclear whether Abib’s arrest is directly connected to these ongoing legal proceedings.