Somali elders, diplomats reach preliminary deal after deadly Mogadishu clashes

Saturday June 6, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — A fragile pause in Mogadishu’s latest political standoff emerged June 4, after Somali traditional elders and international representatives helped secure a preliminary accord between the federal government and former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed’s Himilo Qaran party, the party said Saturday.

According to Himilo Qaran, the understanding calls for an unconditional ceasefire, the withdrawal of troops, a return to political talks, the recovery of vehicles and equipment damaged in the clashes, and a pledge not to send troops to the party’s new headquarters in Liido.

The party said the arrangement came after an assault on its headquarters in Abdiaziz district on June 3, when Sharif and other senior officials were gathered in preparation for a peaceful demonstration scheduled for the next day.

“Armed forces attacked the headquarters, using various weapons, using military equipment intended for fighting armed groups,” the statement said.

Himilo Qaran blamed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government for the attack. The federal government has not responded publicly to the accusation.

The party further alleged that Mohamud’s administration breached the preliminary deal when National Intelligence and Security Agency forces reportedly stopped a convoy headed toward another Himilo Qaran office. International diplomats, the party said, stepped in once more to prevent the situation from spiraling further.

Himilo Qaran thanked ambassadors, traditional elders and other mediators for helping defuse the crisis, even as it repeated its claims against the government.

The statement followed the departure of Sharif and former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire from temporary residences in two Mogadishu neighborhoods a day earlier, after talks intended to lower tensions in the capital.

Sharif had been staying in Mirinaayo in Abdiaziz district, while Khaire had relocated to the Bermudo area. Opposition figures said the moves were meant to help mobilize supporters and escalate anti-government protests after authorities limited access to planned demonstration sites.

The latest dispute is the product of several days of rising confrontation and violence in Mogadishu, where government forces and armed groups aligned with opposition leaders have clashed ahead of planned protests over elections, constitutional changes and Somalia’s political transition.

Opposition leaders say the federal government is curbing peaceful assembly and forcing through reforms without consensus. Federal officials, for their part, say security measures are needed to maintain public order and stop armed groups from destabilizing the capital.