Clashes Rock Mogadishu Ahead of Planned Anti-Government Demonstration
Residents described scenes of intense gunfire, explosions, and large-scale displacement as civilians fled affected areas. No official casualty figures were immediately confirmed.
According to reports, former Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire accused government forces of targeting opposition figures during unrest on Wednesday. In a statement posted on social media, he alleged that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had instructed security units to disperse and attack peaceful opposition gatherings.
Khaire stated: “We are under attack. For the second time in less than 24 hours, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has directed armed forces against our peaceful gatherings,” according to his post.
The Somali authorities rejected these claims, insisting that security forces were responding to coordinated armed assaults rather than peaceful demonstrations. Officials said the incidents involved organized attacks that posed a direct threat to stability in the capital.
According to reports, police maintained that the operations were aimed at restoring order amid what they described as security threats rather than protest activity.
Later on Thursday, fighting reportedly subsided following mediation efforts involving senior intelligence officials and opposition representatives, resulting in an agreement to pause hostilities.
The planned rally had been organized by opposition groups to protest alleged constitutional violations and concerns over President Mohamud’s political intentions. Tensions have increased since his announcement in May that he intends to remain in office until 2027, a move critics argue undermines Somalia’s political framework.
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