The Opposition Salvation Council has announced that it will begin weekly protests in Mogadishu starting June 4, to be held every Thursday until a political agreement is reached on the country’s elections.
The announcement came after a press conference in Mogadishu by opposition leaders, including former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, MP Abdirahman Abdishakur, former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre and other opposition figures.
Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said that the terms of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the government and parliament have expired, arguing that any election without agreement cannot be a fully legitimate election.
He said that efforts were underway last week to reach an agreement on the election issues, but were unsuccessful, stressing that the elections cannot be run by one party, but need to be agreed on the committees, procedures and timing.
Sharif Sheikh Ahmed also criticized the recent elections in Mogadishu and Baidoa, saying they showed the level of corruption and political division that can result from non-consensual elections.
He also accused the government of sending troops to dangerous areas where there was fighting and political tensions, which he said had resulted in the deaths of soldiers and military officers.
For his part, Abdirahman Abdishakur said that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is now a “former president,” as his constitutional term has ended.
He called on the people of Mogadishu to participate in peaceful demonstrations planned for after the holiday, saying that the opposition would continue the protests.
The political crisis in Somalia is intensifying after the failure of recent talks between the government and the opposition on the process and nature of the country’s elections.
