Somalia’s opposition leaders have decided to postpone an anti-government protest planned for Friday after a meeting with Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble on Thursday, reported CGTN Africa.
Opposition leaders had previously threatened anti-government demonstrations after at least four people were killed in clashes between government forces and pro-opposition groups in the capital last week.
According to a statement issued after the meeting, the government has agreed to the appointment of an investigating committee to probe the incident and sent its condolences to the people affected by the incident and the presidential candidates.
As per the statement, an opposition rally is set to be held in 10 days even as it guaranteed the constitutional right of citizens to demonstrate.
Tensions in Somalia flared after the expiry of President Mohamed Farmaajo’s term on February 8 with opposition leaders demanding him to step down and a transitional national council be appointed to oversee the coming elections.
Farmaajo, who is seeking another four-year term, has been unable to reach an agreement with five federal member states on the electoral process. The delay in the election led to a constitutional crisis in the already-fragile state.
A coalition of opposition candidates said they no longer recognize Farmajo as the country’s president and have vowed mass protests until he steps down. The current mandate of parliament already lapsed and legislative and presidential elections were supposed to be held between December 2020 and February 2021.
In related news, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed concerns of recent clashes in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Thursday.
“Political tension in Somalia is likely to affect people’s livelihoods,” the OCHA said in a short statement.
The statement said that humanitarian partners are concerned that armed clashes will aggravate the dire humanitarian situations in the country. The UN appealed to all political parties to ensure the safety of civilians.
