Somali government calls for ceasefire in Mogadishu

SANAA, April 27 (YPA) – The Somali government on Monday called for an immediate ceasefire and a crisis resolution meeting after clashes broke out in Mogadishu between pro-government and pro-opposition forces .

Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has called for calm and dialogue after overnight clashes in the capital between backers and opponents of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as “Farmajo.”

He added that dialogue and understanding are the only ways to resolve the stalemate.

Clashes were reported at the home of opposition Wadajir party leader Abdulrahman Abdishakur, and at the home of former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

The Somali capital Mogadishu is witnessing clashes between the opposition and government forces after recent decisions, during which parliament extended two years to outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo.

The clashes came hours after opposition forces from Hirschbile state announced that they had taken control of areas north of the capital to protest the president’s extension.

E.M