Former president says troops surrounded his home in Mogadishu

Thursday June 4, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Wednesday accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of turning the national army into a political tool, as fierce fighting continued to rage in parts of Mogadishu.

At a news conference in the capital, Sharif said government troops had been deployed in large numbers around his home and surrounding neighborhoods ahead of opposition plans to stage protests on Thursday.

He said peaceful protest is a constitutional right and cannot legally be banned if demonstrators are unarmed and nonviolent.

“The national army was created to defend the country and fight the enemy, and should not be used for political pressure,” Sharif said.

The former president said his supporters had been prevented from moving freely, visiting him or reaching his residence, calling the restrictions a breach of constitutional freedoms.

His comments came as clashes between government forces and armed groups aligned with the opposition spread across several Mogadishu neighborhoods. Heavy gunfire echoed in areas where opposition leaders are based, while unidentified mortar shells reportedly caused damage to civilian property.

Opposition figures have accused Mohamud of directing federal forces to keep them confined to their homes in an effort to stop Thursday’s demonstrations. They say the planned rallies are expected to draw larger crowds than earlier protests.

The violence erupted on Wednesday near Dabka junction after a confrontation between government forces and the security guards of former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire. Khaire said the attack targeted a consultative meeting he was holding with traditional elders, lawmakers, opposition representatives, youth leaders and civil society activists.

In respond, the police spokesman Abdifatah Adan Hassan said masked armed men attacked a police checkpoint where security forces were stationed. He said the attackers used heavy weapons, including assault rifles.

“The area that was attacked was an important place for ensuring public security and was close to neighborhoods and homes inhabited by civilians,” Abdifatah said. He added that the attackers did not distinguish between security forces and civilians in the area.

The fighting between Somali government forces and armed opposition-aligned groups has continued for more than 10 hours, disrupting roads and airport traffic and forcing residents to flee parts of the capital.

Opposition leaders accuse Mohamud’s government of pressing ahead with constitutional changes and electoral reforms without consensus. Federal officials say they are steering the country toward one-person, one-vote elections and must maintain public order in the capital.