Former Somali president accuses government of blocking movement and cutting services
“We have had our electricity cut off, our water cut off, our food denied, and people who come to us have been denied entry,” Sharif said. “All of these things are against the constitution and the democratic system.”
Sunday June 7, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Sunday accused the federal government of tightening pressure on the opposition by restricting his movement, cutting off essential services to his compound and suppressing political activity in the wake of deadly violence in the capital.
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At a news conference in Mogadishu, Sharif said electricity, water and food deliveries to his residence had been halted, while visitors were being turned away at the gate.
“We have had our electricity cut off, our water cut off, our food denied, and people who come to us have been denied entry,” Sharif said. “All of these things are against the constitution and the democratic system.”
He said the measures were part of a wider campaign to intimidate opposition figures and stop planned demonstrations linked to elections, constitutional amendments and the situation of displaced communities.
Sharif accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of deploying security forces intended to protect the country and maintain order against political rivals instead.
“We are not the enemy of the country. We are people who participated in the reconstruction of the Somali state,” Sharif said. “Shooting or suppressing us is far from morality and statesmanship.”
The former president also took aim at the government’s management of Somalia’s electoral process, arguing that any vote must be negotiated, credible and legitimate.
“There can be no elections that are rigged or that the current system creates itself,” he said. “A negotiated and legitimate election can be led in the country.”
He said Mohamud bore responsibility for the latest unrest in Mogadishu, alleging that the president had ordered steps to block opposition movement and confine leaders to their homes.
The federal government has not yet publicly responded to Sharif’s latest claims. Officials have previously said security operations in Mogadishu are aimed at restoring order, seizing illegal weapons and preventing armed groups from destabilizing the city.
The allegations follow armed clashes between federal government forces and an opposition-affiliated armed group that left at least 13 people dead, 189 wounded and about 12,500 households displaced, according to a Protection of Civilians note prepared by the Protection Cluster and UNHCR Somalia.
The report, dated June 4, said the violence erupted on the evening of June 3 near Dabka junction before spreading into densely populated neighborhoods including Hawlwadaag, Abdiaziz, Hodan, Wardhigley and parts of Karaan.
The fighting broke out against the backdrop of a worsening dispute over Somalia’s electoral transition and Mohamud’s mandate. The president says parliament lawfully extended the terms of federal institutions through constitutional amendments, while opposition leaders describe the move as a power grab.
International partners, including the United Nations, African Union, United States and United Kingdom, have called on Somali leaders to exercise restraint, protect civilians and return to talks.
