Three alarming incidents which compound an increasing security scares have shaken the faith of Mogadishu residents within hours of one other.
The first of the three happened in the early hours of Saturday. Four, bullet-riddled young men were found dumped in the Siinkadheer area on the western outskirts of the capital. What shocked residents were the fact that the corpses were killed elsewhere, burned to an unrecognizable state and transported to where they were found at.
The second involved an Al-Shabaab direct hit of a checkpoint controlling the western approaches of a number of key government installations including Villa Somalia – the seat of the Presidency. The checkpoint also commanded access to the National Assembly, the Police Command and the National Television and Radio Stations.
A Toyota Noah laden heavily with explosives rammed into the checkpoint at 9:10 a.m. Saturday.
According to the preliminary reports at least one person was killed instantly, besides the suicide bomber, and 7 others injured at the Sayidka Checkpoint.
A third incident which was immediately blown to alarming proportions involved the top leader of one of the two topmost clans in Somalia – the Muddulood. To this clan belong most of the former presidents of post-collapse Somalia administrations as well as most of the current presidential candidates among whom are Shaikh Shariff and Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud.
Imam Mohamed Yussuf, according to the reports, was let to pass by a unit of the country’s custodial corps at an area where most of the courts and the central penitentiary were located. But his convoy was fired at without warning by those manning the second checkpoint within a short distance of the first.
That one let him pass but the second of the same command starts firing on the Imam raised hackles of the Imam’s subjects as it did their suspicion.
In a clime of uncertainty where the President whose term expired is still clinging to the reins without a solution to the impassé surrounding the electoral process on sight, makes the deteriorating security situation of the capital the more fearsome.
The International friends of Somalia urged Somalian stakeholders to clear the electoral process holdup and to avoid all activities aggravating a situation that is already as incendiary as it could be.
A Farmajo-announced meeting which he set for February 15 in the Puntland state capital of Garowe does not seem to have found acceptance in many quarters. Both the Puntland and Jubaland Presidents opposed the venue stating Mogadishu was a more suitable location in the current climate.
The council of presidential hopefuls, who also favoured Mogadishu, appear to be sidelined by both Villa Somalia and the international partners – obviously on his behest and insistence.
The Council had, earlier, proposed the formation of a Transitional National Council in which all major stakeholders could be found.
As things stand now, the proposed TNC is spiked and no acceptable alternatived tabled yet.
