Published: June 4, 2026 • 12:15 AM IST · Updated: June 4, 2026 • 11:18 AM ISTBy TheBriefWire Editorial Team
Key points
E Somali PM Khaire accuses government forces of attacking him before planned antigovernment protests in Mogadishu.
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.
“An attack was launched against us by forces commanded by the president whose term has expired,” Khaire said in a social media post on Wednesday, adding they had been preparing for a “peaceful demonstration” the following day.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud “bears full responsibility for today’s violent attack on our consultative meeting”, he said.
Somalia has fallen into yet another political crisis after Mohamud announced that his term had been extended for a year after it was due to expire on May 15. The opposition and regional leaders have rejected the move and demonstrations were due to take place on Thursday.