Image: REUTERS/Feisal Omar

Faizel Patel – 27/04/2021

(Twitter: @FaizelPatel143)

The US says it is concerned by the violent clashes in Mogadishu, Somalia calling on all parties to exercise restraint and to resolve their differences peacefully.

Somali opposition fighters have taken up positions in parts of the tense capital, a day after clashes with government troops erupted over President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, best known by his nickname Farmajo’s bid to extend his mandate.

Witnesses report that armed men and vehicles mounted with machine guns were stationed in opposition strongholds, while key roads in Mogadishu were blocked.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price says dialogue and consensus are the only ways to resolve the electoral impasse, and urged parties to resume negotiations at once to arrive at an agreed way forward for immediate elections.

“As the Secretary has stated previously, the United States is prepared to consider all available tools, including sanctions and visa restrictions, to respond to efforts to undermine peace and stability in Somalia.”

Somalia, recovering from decades of civil war, is facing its worst political crisis in recent years after the failure to hold planned elections in February.

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, best known by his nickname Farmajo, has faced harsh criticism at home and from foreign allies after signing a law earlier this month extending his mandate by two years.