Mogadishu | Exchanges of fire broke out Friday morning on the sidelines of an opposition demonstration in the Somali capital Mogadishu, placed under close surveillance by the security forces in anticipation of this march, according to several witnesses on the spot.
The origin of the shots is still unclear but Yusuf Mohamed, one of the witnesses present on the spot and questioned by AFP, reported “heavy gunfire” between the security forces and the armed men ensuring the protection of the march, who had set off a little earlier along the road leading to the airport.
“There may be injured but we went to take cover,” added Yusuf Mohamed.
According to another witness, the security forces were behind the shooting.
“We were walking peacefully along the airport road with former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire and the security forces opened fire on us, triggering chaos,” said another witness Fadumo Moalim.
Somalia has been facing renewed tension for several weeks after the postponement of elections scheduled for February, due to disagreements over how to vote.
A meeting was scheduled for Friday in the capital Mogadishu between President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known by the nickname Farmajo, and regional officials to try to break this deadlock.
A coalition of opposition candidates is demanding the departure of the president, whose term expired on February 8. This coalition brings together various candidates, including two of the former presidents of Somalia.
“Tomorrow marks the start of (…) mass protests across Somalia which will continue until Farmajo withdraws to pave the way for free, fair and credible elections,” the opposition coalition announced Thursday in a press release.
The government warned the opposition against holding this demonstration, citing the health situation due to the coronavirus.
On the night of Thursday to Friday, the two camps accused each other of having attacked the other.
The government said in a statement that “armed militiamen” charged with protecting opposition leaders attacked a checkpoint manned by law enforcement and were trying to seize neighborhoods in Mogadishu.
The opposition categorically denied and in turn accused government forces of attacking the hotel where several of its members were staying.
“They attacked the Maida Hotel where I and former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud reside,” another former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed wrote on Twitter.
After these nightly clashes, government forces took control of the square where the demonstration was to take place and closed all roads leading to it, stationing military vehicles and troops at key crossroads in the capital.