Former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud survives the assassination in Somalia
MOGADISHU, Somalia – Former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud survived a murder on Wednesday night, his aides said, in what could further worsen relations between the federal government and the opposition, which recently signed an election pact.
Eyewitnesses said the former president’s convoy came under attack from government forces stationed in the Hamarweyne district of Mogadishu, not far from the former head of state’s residence in the Somali capital.
The forces, probably taken from the Somali National Army [SNA], witnesses added, fired live bullets at the convoy of the former president. It was not clear why the troops fired at the convoy, but it is believed that they aimed at the former leader.
Reports from the former president’s staff show that he is “safe” and that he arrived at his residence. The ex-president’s bodyguards did not respond to the shot, which led to no deaths, police told reporters in the capital.
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was the eighth president of the Federal Republic of Somalia. He handed over powers to President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, whose term ended in February this year and had been under sustained pressure to resign.
But last week, Farmajo led other former leaders and presidents of federal states to sign a pre-election pact that would see the country hold elections within the next two months. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble will steer the process, the agreement stated.
Somali officials have since confirmed that government forces were involved in the shooting of a convoy carrying President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Mogadishu. Justice Minister Abdulkadir M Nur said the shooting was “unintentional” and “unintentional”. He apologized to the former president.
Prime Minister Mohamed Roble has been called upon to investigate a “murderous” bid against ex-President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Mogadishu. Former Defense Minister Abdirizak Mohamed called the shooting “unacceptable provocation”.
“Prime Minister Mohamed Roble must investigate the assassination attempt on former President Hassan Mohamud. This happened 40 minutes ago. I am traveling with the President myself with the former head of NISA Sanbalolshe. This is an unacceptable provocation against the President,” he said.
Attacks on former leaders are synonymous in Somalia. A couple of months ago, security forces tried to block Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s residence in the middle of the shutdown before the election, but the government later issued an apology.
Spy chief Fahad Yasin, a former Al-Jazeera journalist, has often been accused of planning such attacks. However, the government has always insisted that it is committed to protecting its former leaders under the law and security protocols.
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