Monday April 26, 2021
PM Mohamed Hussein Roble meets with civil society leaders on Monday to discuss the conflict. TWITTER/ Credit: Office of PM
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somalia's Prime Minister called on all sides to put down their arms on Monday and urged all belligerents to come together for dialogue.
"I am calling for an immediate meeting to find solutions to the current crisis in Mogadishu. I commend the civil society's role in seeking solutions to this situation. I call on the public to remain patient and calm. Let's preserve our peace and stability."
Mohamed Hussein Roble made these comments while speaking to civil society leaders in Mogadishu, who gathered to discuss the ongoing conflict in the city.
The PM said he was saddened by the violence in Mogadishu on Sunday between government security forces and soldiers supporting the opposition.
The homes of former President Hassan Shiekh Mohamud and a prominent opposition figure were reportedly attacked by government forces, a claim that the Ministry of Interior vehemently denied.
Somalia's political crisis mushroomed this month after President Farmajo obtained a controversial extension from the Lower House of Parliament earlier this month, despite his mandate expiring in February. Farmajo was warned by opposition figures and the international community that the resolution would further exasperate an already tense political situation.
There are legitimate concerns that Sunday's fighting has deepened the clan divide and threatens Somalia's security sector.
School and universities were closed this week as a result of the fighting.
Somalia's international partners in Mogadishu expressed alarm over the violence, while the UN said that "violence is not the solution" to the stalemate.