Somalia: Opposition warned against protests in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, Somalia’s defence minister, has warned the opposition against staging protests in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, noting that such protests cannot be permitted by the government.

In a press conference, Fiqi, a close ally of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, argued that the opposition is receiving funds from saboteurs of the government to destabilise the capital, adding that the government will not allow citizens to be mobilised for demonstrations.

The opposition has been threatening to hold street protests over mismanagement of the country while accusing the government of promoting land grabbing by unscrupulous businessmen within the country.

“These elders who are now shouting are the same ones who were once banned from flights and attacked in hotels. When have you seen them claiming they are going to change things?” Fiqi said. “We allow them to carry banners on their own, but we will not allow them to take out the public.”

Fiqi, whose tenure in defence has been subjected to scrutiny, dismissed opposition politicians as “political extremists,” claiming that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had already held five meetings with them and agreed to their key demands.

“The opposition has no real political agenda other than mobilising the public by paying small sums of five dollars to evict the poor from their homes,” Fiqi alleged.

The government is also concerned about the security of the capital, Mogadishu, following the recent jailbreak at Godka Jilacow, where al-Shabaab operatives gained entry. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is facing fierce opposition with a few months to the elections in the country.

GAROWE ONLINE