Heavy fighting broke out in Somalia's capital Mogadishu on the evening of July 10 and continued into the early hours of July 11, as government forces and opposition-aligned militias exchanged gunfire, causing property damage and forcing many civilians to evacuate.
According to witnesses, thousands of government soldiers were deployed in the Howl Wadag and Abdiasis districts, where the clashes were most intense. Resident Ahmed Ismail told Reuters: "A mortar shell hit the neighbor's house, injuring a mother. A large nearby home also caught fire. Civilians kept fleeing; I saw them carrying children and cursing both sides."
The clashes came on the eve of planned protests on July 11 against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's decision to remain in power after his term ended in May. In March, Somalia's parliament passed constitutional changes allowing Mohamud to extend his term by one year and delay elections.
Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who served from 2009 to 2012, said government forces surrounded and targeted his home. In a video posted on his Facebook account, Ahmed stated: "Government forces surrounded and attacked my home. I am not afraid of their fierce assault; I will fight back."
Former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire accused government troops of using heavy weapons, including anti-tank guns and drones, in the densely populated area. He also charged the government with launching "a reckless and sustained military attack" against him and former President Ahmed.
The U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu condemned the violence as "reckless" and called on "Somali leaders on all sides to take responsibility for maintaining stability and resolving differences through peaceful means." The United Kingdom also urged restraint and dialogue, stating that violence is unacceptable.
Somalia, a country mired in conflict and civil war since the overthrow of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, also faces a nearly two-decade-long insurgency by the al-Qaida-linked group al-Shabaab.
