Heavy gunfire has broken out in central Mogadishu as Somalia’s former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire says he has been attacked by government forces before planned protests.
Khaire said that an attack was launched against by forces commanded by the President whose term has expired as they had been preparing for a peaceful demonstration today Thursday June 4th 2026 and blamed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud full responsibility for the violent attack on their consultative meeting.
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Somalia has fallen into yet another political crisis after President Mohamud announced that his term had been extended for a year after it was due to expire on May 15th 2026 and the opposition and regional leaders have rejected the move and demonstrations were due to take place today Thursday June 4th.
It is reported that former Prime Minister Khaire relocated from his base in the heavily fortified green zone around the Mogadishu Airport to his residence in the city, in order to take part in the protests.
A witness said that residents panicked in the Howl Wadaag district near his home, with loud gunshots heard in the background and armed opposition forces were seen clashing with Somali Police.
“The shooting lasted for about 15 minutes before it subsided. They even used RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades], and the sound of the explosions could be heard across the surrounding neighbourhoods,” a witness, Saleban Mahad, said.
The Somali President Mohamud, has been attempting to move Somalia towards democratic elections, replacing a system based around clan elders and argues that he was given an extra year in the presidency when a new constitution was passed by parliament in March that set the framework for polls.
But with the country deeply divided between rival clans, and much of it under the control of al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked armed group, there has been little progress on organising elections beyond a few localised pockets.
Opposition and regional leaders have strongly opposed President Mohamud’s plan, seeing it as an attempt to centralise power and foreign powers, primarily the United States and the United Kingdom, have attempted to broker talks between the government and opposition to little avail.
Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has also moved into central Mogadishu for the protest and criticised the attack on Khaire, saying that the President seeks to cause further bloodshed despite not having a legitimate official mandate because his time has expired.
“This attack will not stop the demonstrations by residents of the capital who are protesting against injustice, displacement, and the abuse of government power,” Sheikh Ahmed posted on social media.
Previous presidents have also stayed in office beyond their mandates, including former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo stayed more than a year in office after the official end of his mandate in 2021, triggering violence and condemnation from the international community.
Additional Reporting from Associated Press
