Somalia’s Federal Government Says Order Restored After Fighting in the Capital

MOGADISHU – Somalia’s government said on Friday that security forces had re-established control in two districts of the capital following a day of gunfire between state troops and militias aligned with opposition politicians, clashes that sent some residents fleeing.

The unrest erupted this week as tensions rose over planned demonstrations against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s decision to stay in office after his term expired last month. Those protests never materialized.

In March, parliament approved constitutional amendments that could allow Mohamud to extend his mandate by a year and delay an election.

“Opposition group militias have been disarmed and removed, and civilians have returned to their daily lives,” the information ministry said in a statement.

Reuters was unable to contact opposition leaders for comment. Residents, however, said the fighters were not disarmed but instead stopped shooting after mediation by clan elders.

Former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who led the country from 2009 to 2012, said on Thursday that government forces had attacked his home and accused Mohamud’s administration of “illegally altering the constitution.”

Also on Thursday, former prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire said troops had deployed heavy weaponry, including anti-tank weapons and drones, in a crowded neighborhood.

Reuters could not independently verify those claims at the time. On Friday, the information ministry accused Ahmed and Khaire of putting civilians at risk by sending their militias into residential areas and attacking police officers.

The United Nations, the African Union and an East African regional bloc had all called on those involved in the violence to settle their differences through dialogue.

Somalia has faced decades of instability, clan conflict and the absence of a strong central authority since the overthrow of authoritarian leader Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

At the same time, the Horn of Africa nation continues to battle a nearly 20-year insurgency by the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militant group.