MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s government has announced that troops seen escorting opposition leaders through the capital with heavily armed technical vehicles and mounted anti-aircraft guns will be held accountable.
Speaking on Saturday, State Minister of Defense Omar Abdi Ali emphasized that the capital is secure and warned that no group will be allowed to patrol its streets with heavy weapons.
He stated that security personnel on the government payroll are prohibited from providing protection to opposition figures, adding that those who do so will be removed from their positions.
Ali dismissed opposition claims of deteriorating security in Mogadishu as false, saying such claims are contradicted by the lived experience of the city’s residents.
The warning follows a recent incident in which opposition leaders were seen traveling in a convoy of nearly a dozen armed vehicles through the busy KM4 junction en route to Moalim Nur Zawiye—a location used by the opposition for rallies and meetings during the disputed 2021 elections, which at the time led to violent clashes with government forces under the Farmajo administration.
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