Fierce clashes have erupted in Mogadishu between government troops and militias allied with the opposition, forcing civilians to flee their homes and damaging property. The violence, which began on Wednesday afternoon, comes ahead of planned protests on Thursday against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s decision to extend his term by one year beyond its 15 May expiry.
The fighting centred on Maka al-Mukarama road, the city’s main thoroughfare, with mortar rounds landing in densely populated civilian neighbourhoods and Bakara market, Somalia’s largest business centre. Social media footage showed plumes of smoke rising above the skyline. Opposition leaders embedded with militias had set up positions in their clan strongholds in the run-up to the clashes.
Former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed accused government forces of targeting his home, saying in a Facebook video: “The government forces encircled and attacked my house. I am never scared of their aggressive attack, I will fight back.” Former prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire alleged that government troops used heavy weapons, including anti-tank weapons and drones, in a densely populated area, directing “a sustained and indiscriminate military assault” aimed at killing him and Ahmed.
Residents described the violence as the most intense in years. “I haven’t seen this kind of fighting in five years,” said Kowsar Abdi Ibrahim, who fled with her grandmother during a lull. “There are still troop movements, so even if the gunshots stop, it doesn’t mean the fighting has ended.” Another resident, Bashir Mohamed, said he left his home because “you don’t know who is who – both sides are wearing military attire”.
Police said they were conducting a “large-scale security operation” against “heavily armed militias who launched mortar attacks on some neighbourhoods of the capital”. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, condemned the violence, which he said had caused deaths, injured civilians, and damaged critical infrastructure, calling on all parties to exercise restraint and resolve differences through dialogue. The UK and US embassies also urged restraint and peaceful resolution.
