Wednesday September 24, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali police clashed with opposition
forces Wednesday outside the Warta Nabadda district police station in
Mogadishu, leaving casualties among security personnel, opposition fighters and
civilians, witnesses and officials said.
The violence erupted after opposition leaders including
former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, ex–Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire and
opposition figure Abdirahman Abdishakur arrived Mogadishu’s Sinai Market, where
government troops had earlier been accused of harassing civilians.
Gunfire broke out near the police station, with both sides
using heavy and small weapons for several minutes, according to preliminary
reports. Some stray bullets struck inside holding cells where detainees were
being kept.
Officials did not immediately provide figures for the dead
and wounded.
In a statement, the federal government condemned what it
described as an armed attempt by “political elements” to seize control of the
Warta Nabadda police station.
“The Government of Somalia regrets that politicians who
aspire to seize power in the country are attempting to shed the blood of the
people and the Armed Forces engaged in defending the country and fighting
terrorism,” the statement said.
Authorities placed responsibility for the violence squarely
on opposition leaders, accusing them of undermining security, order and the
rule of law.
The confrontation underscores mounting political tensions
between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration and opposition figures
over the electoral process, heightening fears of further unrest in the capital.