Calm returns after alleged ‘power grab’ violence

Fighting between government forces and opposition fighters that paralysed parts of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, for more than two days has eased, with the federal government declaring that it has restored order, reports Al Jazeera. The violence erupted last Wednesday, and the government declared the districts of Abdiaziz and Hawlwadag calm on Friday. ‘Opposition group militias have been disarmed and removed, and civilians have returned ‌to their daily lives,’ the Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism said in a statement. The violence stems from a dispute over whether President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the incumbent, will stay in power. He says Parliament lawfully extended his term, while the opposition has called it a power grab. It was the deadliest unrest in the capital in years, with each side blaming the other for the initial outbreak of fighting. For almost two days, bursts of gunfire and loud explosions rang out across Mogadishu. Residential buildings near the fighting were hit in the exchanges. The refugee agency said at least 13 people were killed and 189 wounded, and that some 12 500 households fled as the fighting spread through crowded districts, with some civilians trapped at home. While the government says people have returned to normal life, UN officials warned that the humanitarian impact remains severe. The fighting started near the home of former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire in central Mogadishu, and then spread later to the residence of Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a former president, in the north. Both have been spearheading an opposition push for demonstrations and timely elections.