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Clashes break out in Somali capital over delayed elections
Heavy gunfire rocked Mogadishu on Thursday after opposition groups accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of illegally extending his term, sparking a security crackdown.
Background to the crisis
Mohamud's four-year term officially ended on May 15, but lawmakers voted in March to prolong his presidency by one year. Opposition leaders condemned the move as unconstitutional and called for nationwide protests.
Somalia has not held a direct popular vote since 1969, relying instead on a system where clan elders select lawmakers who then choose the president. Mohamud, elected by parliament in 2022, has pushed for reforms to transition toward one-person, one-vote elections.
Opposition leaders targeted amid unrest
Former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire said government forces attacked him and other opposition figures as they prepared for planned demonstrations. In a post on X, he held Mohamud responsible for any injuries or destruction.
"This attack is a grave assault on the constitutional rights of Somali citizens and a deliberate attempt to suppress peaceful assembly."
Hassan Ali Khaire, former Somali Prime Minister
Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, an ally of Khaire, vowed the opposition would not back down despite the violence.
Residents report mortar strikes, fires
Witnesses described intense exchanges of gunfire and mortar shells in multiple neighborhoods overnight. Ahmed Ismail, a Mogadishu resident, told Reuters a mortar struck his neighbor's home, injuring a woman.
"A large house near us is also burning after being hit," Ismail said. Casualty figures remained unconfirmed, and the presidency has not issued a statement.
International calls for restraint
The U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu condemned the violence as "reckless" and urged all sides to seek peaceful solutions. Regional bloc IGAD and the European Union echoed these calls, pressing leaders to prioritize national stability and agree on an election timeline.
Somalia's Civil Aviation Authority denied reports of flight disruptions at Aden Adde International Airport, stating operations were normal.
Political divisions deepen
The opposition rejects the one-year term extension and criticizes new laws on political parties and electoral commission appointments as exclusionary. Mohamud's government argues the reforms are necessary to stabilize the country, which has been plagued by civil war and Islamist insurgencies for decades.
Al-Shabab militants, who control swathes of rural Somalia, continue to pose a major security threat. Mohamud previously served as president from 2012 to 2017, during which the group launched frequent attacks.
