MOGADISHU (GG) — The Somali Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has formally rejected a federal government cabinet decree appointing an interim chairman to lead the private sector institution. The decision has triggered an open dispute between the country’s business community and the federal administration in Mogadishu.
In an official written response addressed to Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the chamber’s leadership stated that the unilateral government appointment violates the established laws and regulations governing the institution. The chamber argued that the cabinet’s intervention directly compromises the operational independence of the body, which is legally mandated to represent the private sector autonomous from state control.
SCCI Chairman Mahmoud Abdi Gabeyre confirmed that the country’s prominent merchants and regional trading houses are unified against the government mandate. Under the internal regulations of the chamber, executive positions must be filled through democratic elections conducted exclusively by registered traders and regional commercial associations, rather than by direct political appointment.
The commercial network stated it will refuse to recognize or cooperate with any administration or interim figure imposed by the state without a mandate from an internal electoral process. Local business analysts noted that the tension risks disrupting the flow of private investment and trade coordination across the country at a highly fragile economic juncture.
The political clash develops amidst broader domestic strains within the Federal Republic of Somalia. The administration of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has faced domestic headwinds over ongoing security strategies against the Al-Shabaab insurgency, alongside severe regional friction with semi-autonomous federal member states.
The federal cabinet has not yet issued a public response to the chamber’s formal rejection. The standoff remains unresolved as business leaders call for the federal government to rescind the executive order and respect private sector legal processes.
