Mogadishu Protests to Proceed: Opposition Leaders Maintain

Abdishakur said the opposition would demand official authorization for the demonstrations, warning that if the government attempts to block their peaceful efforts again, they will move forward independently.

In a pointed reference to Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, who had previously mocked similar protests with the phrase “Are you merciless?” during his time in opposition, Abdishakur declared, “We will face each other, and whoever flees the scene will be seen by all of us.”

His remarks come amidst a backdrop of heightened political tension in Mogadishu, following two prior postponements of opposition-led protests. Minister Fiqi has insisted that no protests will be permitted, a stance that draws attention to his controversial history with opposition rallies during the Farmaajo administration, highlighting the shifting dynamics of Somalia’s political landscape.