By Goth Mohamed Goth
MOGADISHU – Heavy gunfire broke out Wednesday at Dabka Junction in Mogadishu between government forces and security guards of former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, just hours before planned opposition demonstrations.
Casualties are unknown. No official statement from the federal government yet.
Khaire accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government of attacking a consultative meeting he was attending with over 70 traditional elders, lawmakers, and opposition figures. He called the assault a “grave attack on constitutional rights” and an attempt to suppress peaceful assembly.
The clash came after authorities approved restricted protest sites—Banadir Stadium, Mogadishu Stadium, and Jaamacadaha area—while banning weapons and warning against public disorder. Opposition leaders, including former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, reject venue restrictions, insisting peaceful protest is a right across the capital.
Tensions are soaring over elections, constitutional changes, and Somalia’s political transition. The opposition says reforms lack consensus; the government cites the need for public order ahead of one-person, one-vote polls.
This is a developing story.
