By Abdi Sheikh
MOGADISHU, April 28 (Reuters) - Members of Somalia s opposition on Wednesday refused to withdraw from fortified positions in the capital after the president tried to defuse an armed standoff by promising to appear before parliament to debate a proposal to extend his term by two years.
The proposal has split some security forces along clan lines and forced between 60,000 and 100,000 people to flee their homes following clashes on Sunday that stirred fears of all-out war between heavily armed factions for and against the president. Even babies understand the war mood is still the same, Captain Ahmed Nur, a military officer loyal to the opposition, told Reuters by phone. We are still in our defences. this afternoon we are waiting for dozens of military from Lower Shabelle region.
Daily Monitor
Wednesday April 28 2021
A bonfire is set on a street during the protest against Somalia s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed in Mogadishu, Somalia, on April 25, 2021. Somalia, recovering from decades of civil war, is facing its worst political crisis in recent years after the failure to hold planned elections in February. PHOTO/AFP
Summary
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, best known by his nickname Farmajo, has faced harsh criticism at home and from foreign allies after signing a law earlier this month extending his mandate by two years.
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, April 28, announced he would seek parliament s approval for fresh elections, appearing to abandon a two-year extension to his mandate.
Reuters Reuters
28 April, 2021, 8:03 pm
Residents flee following renewed clashes between rival factions in the security forces, who have split in a dispute over an extension to the president s term in Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia April 27, 2021. REUTERS/Feisal Omar
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Somalia’s prime minister denounced a proposed extension of the president’s term on Tuesday, piling pressure on President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed to hold elections as rival factions in the security forces drew up battle lines in the capital.
The heads of two regional states who had been staunch allies of the president also rejected the proposed two-year extension of Mohamed’s term.
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As Somalia s unrest continues, US stands ready to consider all available tools
On Location: April 26, 2021
Replay Video UP NEXT As rival factions in Somalia s military clash over the president s extended stay in power, the United States stands ready to consider all available tools, according to U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price. The United States is gravely concerned by the violent clashes yesterday in Mogadishu. We call on all parties to exercise restraint and to resolve their differences peacefully, Price said in a statement on Monday evening. Dialogue and consensus are the only ways to resolve the electoral impasse, and we urge parties to resume negotiations at once to arrive at an agreed way forward for immediate elections. As the Secretary has stated previously, the United States is prepared to consider all available tools, including sanctions and visa restrictions, to respond to efforts to undermine peace and stability in Somalia.