Armed clashes erupted between Somali government forces and opposition-backed militias in the capital city of Mogadishu, with fighting continuing from Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, according to local residents who spoke with Reuters.
The armed confrontations took place as demonstrators prepared for Thursday protests challenging President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s choice to continue serving after his presidential term ended last month. In March, parliamentary members approved constitutional modifications that could permit Mohamud to stay in power for an additional year while delaying scheduled elections.
A former president who served from 2009 to 2012, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, claimed that government soldiers had attacked his residence and criticized Mohamud’s administration for “illegally altering the constitution.”
“The government forces encircled and attacked my house. I am never scared of their aggressive attack, I will fight back,” he stated in a video posted to his Facebook page during the overnight hours.
Through a message on X, former prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire alleged that government soldiers deployed heavy weaponry including anti-tank armaments and drones within a crowded residential zone. Reuters could not independently confirm these allegations.
Khaire further claimed the government had launched “a sustained and indiscriminate military assault” designed to eliminate both him and Ahmed.
Neither Somalia’s information nor defense ministers answered phone calls or responded to Reuters requests for statements.
Local residents reported that combat started around 5 p.m. Wednesday and extended into Thursday morning, with thousands of government soldiers positioned throughout Mogadishu’s Howlwadag and Abdiasis neighborhoods, where they engaged in firefights with militias backing opposition figures.
“A mortar shell landed on my neighbour’s house, injuring a mother. A big house near us is also ablaze, mortars and other weapons landed on it,” resident Ahmed Ismail told Reuters early Thursday morning.
“In front of our house I see a man injured and carried by hand. Civilians keep on fleeing the war, I see them walking with kids in hand and cursing the two warring groups,” he explained.
Another witness, Mohamud Farah, reported that opposition-supporting militias destroyed at least two armored vehicles.
Somalia has faced ongoing warfare and tribal conflicts without effective central leadership since autocratic leader Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. The nation has also been battling an insurgency lasting nearly twenty years, led by the al Qaeda-affiliated al Shabaab organization.
The U.S. embassy in Mogadishu characterized the violence as “reckless.”
“Somali leaders on all sides have a responsibility to preserve stability and resolve differences through peaceful means,” the embassy stated in an X post.
The UK similarly called for moderation and discussion, declaring the violence unacceptable.
