At least one person was killed and several others wounded on Sunday after Somali security forces opened fire on anti-government protesters in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, APA can report on Monday.
The protests were organized by the Somali Future Council and other prominent opposition figures, including former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire.
Khaire said that a civilian was killed in the Daynile district during the protests.
Mahdi Omar Mumin, commander of the Banadir Regional Police Commissioner confirmed the killing, saying the victim was killed after security forces opened fire during an unauthorized gathering in the Daynile district.
The killing came after the government warned of “armed elements linked to or aligned with opposition actors” in densely populated parts of the city.
Opposition leaders have framed the demonstrations as an expression of solidarity with residents displaced by government-led demolitions in Mogadishu, which authorities said targeted state-owned plots informally occupied by civilians after Somalia’s central government collapsed in 1991.
The death marks the most violent escalation yet in the opposition’s campaign against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose four-year mandate is set to expire on May 15.
Opposition leaders from the Somali Future Council have accused the government of carrying out illegal forced evictions and “land grabbing” across Mogadishu.
The protesters, carrying placards denouncing the evictions, demanded that families displaced by recent demolitions be allowed to return to their homes.
Authorities used armored vehicles, military trucks and stones to erect blockades on major roads, specifically sealing off routes leading to the Daljirka Dahson monument, major stadiums and the residence of opposition leader Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
The measures were intended to prevent demonstrators from reaching Engineer Yarisow Stadium, the primary venue designated by the government for rallies against forced evictions and land-related disputes.
The protests coincided with the scheduled opening of a national dialogue forum convened by the president on Sunday.
Tensions remain exceptionally high as the president’s four-year term is set to expire in just five days.
The government had earlier called for peaceful protests but accused opposition leaders of refusing to hold their rally at the designated stadium and instead calling for protests in 22 locations.
MG/abj/APA