Somalia Faces Violent Turn With Factions Seen in Security Ranks
- Gunfire heard in Mogadishu after some soldiers enter capital
- President extended his, lawmakers’ mandates without a vote
Somali military force personnel supporting anti-government opposition leaders stationed in Mogadishu, on April 25.
Source: AFP/Getty Images
The political crisis in Somalia is causing faultlines within its security ranks that could play into the hands of al Qaeda-linked militants looking to further destabilize the nation.
In the latest sign of a widening schism, some soldiers abandoned their posts in Middle Shabelle region on Sunday and went to the capital, Mogadishu, where they clashed with troops loyal to President Mohamed Abdullahi, also known as Farmajo. The violence came moments after two former presidents-turned-opposition leaders, Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, claimed that the national army had raided their homes in Mogadishu.