UN Concerned About Clashes Between Army Factions in Somalia

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Monday voiced deep concern over the armed clashes in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

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"The Secretary-general... reiterates his call for all Somali stakeholders to refrain from further violence and resolve their differences through dialogue and compromise," Dujarric said and urged all parts to resume negotiations and forge an agreement based on the Sept. 17, 2020, electoral model.

The latest political crisis came on April 12 when the Somali lower house voted to extend the terms of the executive and the legislative branches, despite stiff opposition from the Upper house leadership and opposition leaders.

Efforts to reach an agreement on how to carry out presidential and parliamentary elections, which were originally scheduled for February, have been stalled for months.

The meme reads, "Looking back at a crazy day in Mogadishu."

The opposition has refused to recognize Mohamed Farmajo as president since his four-year term expired on Feb. 8 without planned elections taking place.

On Sunday, 13 people were killed and 22 injured in clashes between an army faction that supports Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo and another faction that rejects him.

The clashes began after the opposing military abandoned their bases in Lower Shabelle and took control of the northern part of the capital city. While this was going on, Former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and other opposition politicians denounced that the regime's armed forces had raided their homes.

Security Minister Hassan Hundebey rejected these accusations and assured that the Army has been protecting the country's former presidents.