This past Friday, police forces in Mogadishu fired on protesters as demonstrators took to the streets to voice their anger about a delay in the country’s election, which was supposed to occur earlier this month.
A video emerged on social media showing demonstrators marching peacefully and then running for cover in the middle of the street when the sound of gunfire was heard in the background. At least one explosion was reported at an airport in the country. This comes after Mogadishu banned any public gatherings due to COVID-19 risks, the Anadolu Agency reported.
The U.S. Embassy said in a security alert that reports indicate as many as 20 people were “killed or injured” by the police, according to the Associated Press. AP reported that protesters said they were undeterred despite the gunfire.
“If this is what [the president] wants, he will get more of it because this is what we know best,” said Mohamed Abdi Halane, a demonstrator and militia leader for a clan in the country.
Gunfire erupted near the presidential palace in the country, the report noted. President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed is facing pressure by many in the country of about 15.5 million, who says his constitutional mandate ended on 8 February, the day the elections were supposed to be held, but he continues to illegally occupy the office.
Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the opposition leader and former president, said, “After discussing the current situation in the country, the opposition has decided to continue protests.”
The report said the unrest could help al-Shabab, the extremist group, make political inroads.
TRENDPOST: Protests, violence, crime, corruption, military dictatorships… civil war has been taking place in Somalia for decades. In the Trends Journal, we have been reporting on the civil unrest erupting across the Horn of Africa and its socioeconomic and geopolitical implications.
As the “Greatest Depression” worsens, national conflicts will escalate and spread into regional wars. In turn, there will be mass migration to European nations… which, in turn, will accelerate the currently-stalled populist movements in the EU.
