Armed clashes erupt in Somalia’s capital ahead protest

Supporters of opposition political figures and State security forces fought in armed clashes on Thursday that erupted in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, on Wednesday evening ahead of a planned anti-Government demonstration.

No official casualty figures were immediately available from the violence that prompted calls for restraint from the United Nations and the United States, as the Government and opposition traded blame for the violence.  Residents reported heavy gunfire and explosions as fighting broke out in several neighbourhoods on Wednesday. “We heard heavy weapons fire, and people were fleeing their homes,” said Abdullahi Mohamed, who lives in the city’s Howlwadaag district.

“Many families left the area looking for safer places.” Opposition figures say the rally planned for Thursday was intended to protest what they call constitutional violations and efforts by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to extend his tenure. The Government has rejected those allegations. Mogadishu police said the violence stemmed from “organised attacks” carried out by armed militias linked to groups pursuing political interests.

“The incidents were not the organization of peaceful public demonstrations, but rather coordinated armed acts that directly threatened the security, order and stability of the Capital,” the police said in a statement. State security forces repelled attacks on their positions and launched investigations to identify those responsible for organizing, financing and carrying out the violence, police said. Opposition leaders accused security forces of attacking residences linked to former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire and former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

“We are under attack,” Khaire said in a statement. “For the second time in less than 24 hours, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has directed armed forces against our peaceful gatherings.”

Traditional elders, politicians, and community leaders were meeting at Khaire’s residence when the attack occurred, he said.

The Government disputed that account. The UN expressed alarm over the clashes. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the violence resulted in deaths, injuries to civilians, and damage to critical infrastructure.