People’s Power Party urges Somali leaders to avoid armed confrontation

Nairobi (HOL) — People’s Power Party led by former Mogadishu Mayor Thabid Abdi Mohamed urged Somalia’s political leaders Sunday to avoid armed confrontation and resolve disputes through dialogue.

The statement followed an escalating dispute between former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), over security operations in Mogadishu’s Wadajir district.

The party also warned that broader tensions around the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait could have consequences for Somalia and argued that domestic political disputes should not create additional burdens for citizens.

NISA earlier Sunday accused armed men it described as forces operating under Sharif’s command of attacking and obstructing members of its Public Protection Forces in the General Da’ud section of Wadajir.

The agency alleged that men armed with AK-47 rifles, BKM machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades forcibly entered homes in the Tiintiinley neighborhood and attempted to provoke government forces into an armed confrontation.

NISA maintained that its forces exercised restraint to avoid violence and civilian casualties.

“The National Intelligence and Security Agency is a law-abiding security agency that operates independently of political rivalries,” the agency said, adding that it would not allow its personnel to be drawn into political disputes.

Sharif rejected the allegations hours later and accused government forces of targeting members of his office and restricting access to his residence.

“National security agencies must remain independent of political rivalries, operate within the law and protect all citizens equally,” Sharif’s office said. “We call upon the leadership of NISA to cease misleading the Somali public.”

His office alleged that government forces had deployed near his residence, that some staff members had been abducted and that roadblocks had disrupted access to food and water.

Neither side’s allegations have been independently verified.

The confrontation comes amid a prolonged dispute between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government and opposition groups over constitutional changes and the framework for Somalia’s next elections.