Somali opposition alliance warns of risk of clashes in Mogadishu — The Rio Times
Somalia’s opposition Future Council said that the deployment of forces near the home of former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed in Mogadishu, Somalia, could lead to clashes. The alliance, which includes Puntland, Jubaland and the Mogadishu-based Salvation Forum, placed responsibility for possible consequences on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, The Rio Times reports.
Opposition alliance statement
The Future Council of Somalia’s statement was published by Puntland Post and Horseed Media on October 12. It says that forces were deployed near the residence of Ahmed, who led Somalia in 2009–2012. The opposition also expressed concern over reports of possible actions against the residences of other opposition politicians and called on federal authorities to stop what it described as provocations.
The dispute is taking place amid differences over upcoming elections. Opposition forces demand an electoral process agreed by all parties, while the government is promoting direct voting through political parties. Former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire said that military movements near the homes of former leaders are irresponsible and could increase instability in the capital.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Mutual accusations
Earlier, Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said that armed formations it links to Ahmed attacked the agency’s forces in the Wadajir district. The agency also claimed that these individuals entered homes in the Tininley neighborhood with small arms, machine guns and grenade launchers.
Ahmed’s office rejected these claims the same day. It said government troops had positioned themselves near his residence and that some staff members had allegedly been abducted; according to the former president’s office, checkpoints also restricted deliveries of water and food. Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, for his part, accused certain opposition groups of mobilizing armed formations and said the authorities would not allow armed movements that threaten Mogadishu.
There is no independent confirmation of either side’s accounts of the incidents in Wadajir. It is also unknown whether the government plans an operation to disarm Ahmed and other opposition figures.
