MOGADISHU, Somalia — Clashes and scuffles erupted Tuesday inside Villa Hargeisa, the seat of Somalia’s federal parliament, after opposition lawmakers blocked a planned session to debate constitutional amendments, officials and witnesses said. The day’s sitting was canceled, deepening a standoff over the government’s push to modify the country’s provisional charter.
Opposition legislators entered the chamber early, occupied leadership seats and sealed off access points, preventing Speaker Adan Mohamed Nur, known as Madoobe, from reaching the rostrum, according to people present. Microphones and sound equipment were damaged amid the chaos, making it impossible for proceedings to begin.
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The government-backed amendments have become a flashpoint in Mogadishu’s polarized politics. Opposition figures say the draft changes are incomplete and could be used to extend the terms of key institutions — a claim the federal government has previously denied.
The confrontation turned physical as security personnel deployed inside the compound clashed with lawmakers on the floor. Lawmaker Cadar Xareed was hospitalized with a leg injury; she accused security forces of causing the harm, further inflaming tensions among opposition members. Several other legislators sustained minor injuries during pushing and shoving inside the chamber, witnesses said.
Independent journalists were barred from entering the parliamentary compound and were turned away at the main gate. Lawmaker Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame and others criticized the restrictions and called for journalists to be allowed to report freely from Villa Hargeisa.
Tuesday’s turmoil followed a decision by parliamentary leaders a day earlier to suspend and sanction 18 lawmakers accused of disrupting previous sessions. The punitive move set the stage for the showdown and underscored the chamber’s deep divisions over both procedure and substance surrounding the amendments.
Somalia has struggled for years to finalize and adopt a permanent constitution, with recurring disputes over the balance of power, electoral rules and the shape of the federal system. Those fault lines have repeatedly spilled into public life, interrupting legislative work and straining relations between the executive and opposition factions.
By late afternoon, the situation inside Villa Hargeisa remained tense, and it was unclear what steps the leadership would take next or when the debate might resume. Officials offered no immediate timetable for reconvening the shuttered session.
- What happened: A planned debate on constitutional changes was derailed as opposition lawmakers blocked access to the chamber and occupied leadership seats.
- Injuries reported: Lawmaker Cadar Xareed was hospitalized with a leg injury; others suffered minor injuries in scuffles with security personnel.
- Press access restricted: Independent journalists were barred from entering the parliament; lawmakers condemned the move and called for media freedom.
- Backdrop: The clash came a day after 18 lawmakers were suspended over alleged disruptions, amid long-running disputes over Somalia’s incomplete constitutional process.
The proposed amendments — which opponents characterize as opaque and potentially self-serving — are part of a broader push by the government to settle foundational questions that have eluded Somalia since the introduction of its provisional constitution. The lack of consensus, however, has left parliament vulnerable to procedural battles and street-level politics that occasionally spill into the chamber itself.
Even as both sides trade accusations over process and intent, the immediate priority for parliamentary leaders will be restoring order and agreeing on rules to resume debate without repeat disruptions. With tensions high and competing claims already hardening, any path forward is likely to require concessions on transparency, media access and engagement with opposition lawmakers who insist the text remains unfinished.
For now, the collapse of Tuesday’s session underscores how fragile the legislative process remains and how quickly Somalia’s constitutional debate can veer from deliberation into confrontation.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
