Somali government forces and opposition-aligned militias skirmished in Mogadishu on Thursday, a day after both sides established positions in the capital, as a political dispute over President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s extended term escalated into armed clashes that sent residents fleeing.
The fighting broke out after parliament voted to extend Mohamud’s term by one year beyond its scheduled expiration on May 15. Opposition leaders — including former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and former Prime Minister Hassan Khayre — denounced the move as a constitutional crisis and called for demonstrations against it.
Ahmed said in a video statement that government forces had “encircled and attacked my house.” He accused the government of targeting him specifically for his opposition to the term extension and for leading resistance to it. “I am never scared of their aggressive attack — I will fight back,” he said.
Khayre said in a statement that the government had deployed anti-tank weapons and drones in the attack, endangering civilians in the area.
Col. Mahdi Omar Mumin, speaking at a press conference on Thursday, said government forces staged an operation in which security agencies neutralized armed militia members who had attacked police officers in the Hodan District the previous day, according to a statement from Somalia’s Ministry of Defense on X. “The militia had caused harm to Somali civilians and disrupted security in the capital,” the ministry said.
Ahmed and Khayre each maintain their own armed security, as do various clans throughout the country. The alleged targeting of opposition leaders by government forces led to ongoing skirmishes that prompted Mogadishu residents to flee their homes for safety.
Mohamud and his supporters in parliament said the term extension is intended to allow a transition from indirect elections — in which clan elders select representatives — to a system of direct, individual voting for candidates. Opposition members said they fear the change could prevent many people in the country from having a voice in the government and potentially enable greater power for Mohamud.
The violence in Somalia’s capital is the latest instance of political instability in the Horn of Africa, where disputed term limits have triggered crises in several countries in recent months.