Parliament decided to extend the mandate of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohammed for two years, even in the absence of elections set out in the constitution, and in appropriate political agreements with the semi-autonomous states forming the federation.
According to the Somali Guardian news website, the opposition controls many parts of the capital after stopping forces loyal to former President Hassan Sheikh Mohammed and senator and ex-combatant Muse Soodi Yalahu.
Those units were located in the districts of Aptyasis and Karan, while the army took over nearby crossroads, and the clashes were not ruled out.
Government forces also set up security lines in Shirkol following the deployment of troops loyal to the recently sacked Panadir police chief Sadaq Omar Mohammed near the defense ministry headquarters.
Panadir is an administrative region in southeastern Somalia, and the capital is Mogadishu, hence its political and regional significance.
On April 12, National Police Chief Abdi Hassan Hiar announced that Omar Mohammed had been sacked for ordering parliament to suspend the state president, whose order officially ended on February 8, with the legislature responding with a two-year extension.
According to the press, members of the opposition came close to confronting the security forces on April 14, but mediator efforts from the Kalmud region convinced the state president not to launch an attack.
ga / mt
