Fierce gun battles have erupted between government forces and armed supporters of the opposition in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. The conflict stems from an escalating dispute regarding the postponement of elections.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term officially expired on May 15, though parliament granted him a one-year extension. The opposition has denounced this decision as unconstitutional and called for protests on Thursday. Reports indicate that the shootings took place across several city districts and reportedly lasted throughout the night. Authorities stated that they are conducting a large-scale security operation against heavily armed militias in certain areas, which are alleged to have used mortars.
Preceding this violence, discussions between the government and the opposition concerning the president’s expired tenure had failed to yield results. The president has expressed a desire to democratize the electoral process. Currently, deputies are elected by clan elders, who in turn select the president. Somalia’s last general elections, which involved a one-person, one-vote system, were held in 1969, and the nation has been plagued by civil war for over three decades.
Former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire claimed that he was attacked by government troops while preparing for demonstrations alongside other opposition leaders. He emphasized that responsibility for any casualties or damage should lie with the president, whose term had expired. He deemed the attack a serious violation of the constitutional rights of citizens and an attempt to suppress peaceful assemblies, urgently appealing to Somalia’s international partners to intervene immediately. The exact number of people injured or killed during the clashes was initially unconfirmed.
