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Somalia, a deeply troubled African country is boiling again! The current orgy of violence rocking the country is largely due to the failure of its leaders to “prioritize the national interest” and resolve their protracted political impasse.
The United Nations and international partners working to support lasting peace and democratic election process across the country said on Sunday, April 11 that they were highly concerned by the situation there, and urged them to resolve their political impasse.
UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) issued a statement on Tuesday, alongside international partners, strongly condemning the outbreak of violence in the capital Mogadishu. UNSOM is also urging all sides to “exercise maximum restraint, resume dialogue, and avoid unilateral actions that may lead to a further escalation.”
FILE PHOTO: Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, president of Somalia, attends the London Somalia Conference at Lancaster House, May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Jack Hill/Pool/File Photo
MOGADISHU (Reuters) -Somalia s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed said on Wednesday he would drop an attempt to extend his term by two years, bowing to domestic and international pressure after clashes in the capital Mogadishu split security forces along clan lines.
Hours earlier, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble had denounced the proposed term extension and called for preparations for a new presidential election.
The president s term expired in February, but the country failed to hold elections as planned. Earlier this month, the lower house of parliament voted to extend Mohamed s four-year term by another two years. The Senate rejected the move, provoking a political crisis.
Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed called early Wednesday for elections and a return to dialogue after the extension of his mandate by two years sparked the country’s worst political violence in years.
The president, best known by his nickname Farmajo, addressed the nation at around 1:00 am local time (2200 GMT) after hours of anticipation, with Mogadishu on a knife’s edge as government troops and pro-opposition soldiers beefed up their positions and civilians fled their homes.
The rival sides exchanged gunfire on Sunday in an eruption of long-simmering tensions sparked by the delay of February elections and Farmajo’s extension of his mandate earlier this month.
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