Calm returned on to the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on Monday morning after heavy fighting between pro-opposition armed loyalist and the government security forces.
According to privately-owned Radio Risala, the situation in hot spot areas was calm and people were seen walking to their work places while others came out to assess the situation.
Earlier on Sunday, Heavy Gunfire erupted in Somalia’s capital between soldiers loyal to the government and others angry at the country’s leader President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and his extended stay in power.
There were no reports of casualties, but the gunfire heard across much of the city highlighted earlier warnings that the election standoff could increase instability in the Horn of Africa nation.
Somalia’s president is facing growing opposition in the country and abroad after the lower house of parliament approved a two-year extension of his mandate and that of the federal government.
The African Union was the latest to condemn the actions.
Somalia’s election, meant for early February, has been delayed amid disputes between the federal government and the states of Puntland and Jubbaland along with the opposition.
The soldiers were believed to have entered the city from military bases outside Mogadishu with most of them belonging to the clan of former presidents Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
Both have vowed to forcefully dislodge the president if he does not return to negotiations over the election delay or resign.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.