Parliament and the courts
Attorney General of Somalia: the federal prosecution service
The Office of the Attorney General is Somalia's federal prosecution service: it brings criminal cases to court, gives the government legal advice and reports to parliament each year. It handled 2,645 cases in its latest published count, settling 28 percent itself and sending 35 percent to court. Suleiman Mohamed Mahmoud is Attorney General.
What it does
The Attorney General leads the federal prosecution service. The office decides which crimes to take to court, presents the case for the state, and advises the government on the law. The 2012 constitution names the Attorney General as one of three independent offices, with the Auditor General and the Central Bank, and says the federal government and each member state should have one (Provisional Constitution 2012, Article 114, via Constitute Project).
The constitution also gives the office other roles:
- Reporting: the Attorney General must send a yearly report to both houses of parliament and to the public (Article 111J(6)).
- Complaints against officials: the Ombudsman can pass a complaint about an official, including one suspected of corruption, to the Attorney General to prosecute (Article 111J(5)).
- Judges: the Attorney General sits on the body that oversees judges. Under the 2026 constitution that is the Supreme Judicial Council (Dawan Africa, July 2026).
The cases it handles
The federal office's case count, published by the national statistics bureau (SNBS, Somalia Facts and Figures 2024, Table 2.19):
| Case type | Cases | Settled by the office | Settled by courts | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Property and assets | 860 | 290 | 310 | 260 |
| Killing and assault | 570 | 235 | 160 | 175 |
| Drugs and substances | 333 | 69 | 135 | 129 |
| Gender-based violence | 297 | 55 | 145 | 97 |
| Road traffic | 253 | 80 | 98 | 75 |
| Financial crimes | 212 | 7 | 20 | 185 |
| Human trafficking | 79 | 9 | 24 | 46 |
| Maritime crimes | 41 | 0 | 36 | 5 |
| All cases | 2,645 | 28% | 35% | 37% |
Financial crimes are the slowest to close: 185 of 212 were still open. The office reported more than 250 cases of money laundering and terrorist financing, and about $1 million frozen in accounts (SONNA).
Prosecutors in the member states and Somaliland
Each member state and Somaliland has its own attorney general's office. Cases they reported, and the share closed (SNBS, Facts and Figures 2024, Table 2.20):
- Somaliland: 28,563 cases, 97 percent closed
- Puntland: 4,440 cases, 90 percent closed
- South West: 967 cases, 79 percent closed
- Galmudug: 410 cases, 84 percent closed
- Jubaland: 183 cases, 74 percent closed
- Hirshabelle: 63 cases, 67 percent closed
These are cases recorded by each office. They show how much each system records, which is not the same as how much crime there is. Many disputes in all areas are settled through xeer and elders instead. See Xeer: Somali customary law.
Who leads it
Suleiman Mohamed Mahmoud is Attorney General. In January 2026 he chaired a two-day review of the office's 2025 work and its plans for 2026, with all prosecution departments (SONNA, 27 January 2026).
In November 2026 the office said a ruling by five judges of the Supreme Court's Constitutional Division, on the end of the terms of the President and parliament, had no legal effect (Dawan Africa, November 2026; The Standard). See Somalia's courts.
How to use it
- Report a crime: go to the nearest police station, which passes cases to the prosecutor. In Mogadishu, cases go to the Banadir courts.
- Corruption by an official: report it to the Anti-Corruption Commission, which can pass it on for prosecution.
Its legal basis
Article 114 and Article 111J of the 2012 Provisional Constitution, as amended in 2024 and 2026; the attorney general laws of each member state and of Somaliland.
Sources
- Provisional Constitution 2012, Article 114, via Constitute Project · constituteproject.org
- Dawan Africa, July 2026 · dawan.africa
- SNBS, Somalia Facts and Figures 2024, Table 2.19 · nbs.gov.so
- SONNA · sonna.so
- SONNA, 27 January 2026 · sonna.so
- Dawan Africa, November 2026 · dawan.africa
- The Standard · standardmedia.co.ke
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Where this matters
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Keep reading
- Federal Parliament of Somalia: the House of the People and the Upper HouseWhat Somalia's Federal Parliament does, how its 329 seats are filled, who sits in each house, and the laws behind it, from 1960 to 2026.
- Constitution of Somalia (Dastuurka Soomaaliya): 1960 to 2026Somalia's constitutions from 1960 to 2026: the 1960 constitution, the 1979 constitution, the 2000 and 2004 charters, the 2012 Provisional Constitution, and the 2024 and 2026 amendments, with the votes and the dispute over them.
- Speakers of the Somali Parliament since 1956 (Guddoomiyeyaasha Baarlamaanka)Every speaker of Somalia's parliament from 1956 to 2026: the National Assembly, the People's Assembly, the transitional parliaments, the House of the People and the Upper House, with dates and votes.
- Members of Somalia's Federal Parliament (Xildhibaannada Baarlamaanka Federaalka)Lists of the members of Somalia's Federal Parliament: all 54 senators of the Upper House by member state, and the House of the People members in the official directory, with seat numbers and roles.
- Elections in Somalia: how voting and selection work (Doorashooyinka Soomaaliya)How Somalia chooses its parliament and President: the elections of 1956 to 1969, one-party votes under the military government, the clan-delegate system of 2000 to 2022, the 2024 election laws, the 2025 and 2026 direct votes and the 2027 timetable.
- Politics of Somalia: how power is shared (Siyaasadda Soomaaliya)How politics works in Somalia: the federal system, clan power-sharing, political parties from the Somali Youth League to the Justice and Solidarity Party, the opposition Somali Future Council, and relations with the member states.