Somalia ex-PM says attacked by govt forces in Mogadishu

___________

MOGADISHU — Gunfire broke out in central Mogadishu on Wednesday as Somalia's former prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire said he was attacked by government forces ahead of planned protests.

Somalia has fallen into yet another political crisis after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced that his term had been extended for a year after it was due to expire on May 15.

The opposition and regional leaders have rejected the move, and demonstrations were due to take place on Thursday.

The former prime minister had reportedly relocated from his base in the heavily fortified green zone of the city to his former home in order to take part in the protests.

"An attack was launched against us by forces commanded by the president whose term has expired," Khaire said in a social media post.

An AFP journalist filmed images of panicked residents in the Howl Wadaag district of the Somali capital near the former PM's home, with loud gunshots heard in the background.

"All losses resulting from this attack are the responsibility of the President, whose term expired, who attacked us while we were fully prepared for the peaceful demonstration planned for tomorrow," Khaire added.

The president has been attempting to move Somalia towards democratic elections, replacing a system based around clan elders.

Mohamud argues he was given an extra year in the presidency when a new constitution was passed by parliament in March that set the framework for elections.

But with the country deeply divided between rival clans, and much of it under the control of Al-Shabaab, an Islamist insurgent group, there has been little progress on organising elections beyond a few localised pockets.

Opposition and regional leaders have strongly opposed Mohamud's plan, seeing it as an attempt to centralise power.

Foreign powers, primarily the United States and Britain, have attempted to broker talks between the government and opposition to little avail.

Previous presidents have also stayed in office beyond their mandates.

The last president, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, stayed more than a year in office after the official end of his mandate in 2021, triggering protests and condemnation from the international community.

Another former president, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, criticised Wednesday's attack on Khaire, saying it was "part of the actions through which Hassan Sheikh Mohamud seeks to cause further bloodshed despite not having a legitimate official mandate".

"This attack will not stop the demonstrations by residents of the capital who are protesting against injustice, displacement, and the abuse of government power," he said on X.