On 25 April 2021, hundreds of Somali soldiers entered

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...

opposing extensions of the presidential mandate.

Background

On 14 April 2021, acting President of

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ( so, Maxaamed Cabdullaahii Maxaamed, ar, محمد عبدالله محمد; born 11 March 1962), also known as Farmaajo, is a Somali politician who served as president of Somalia from 2017 to 2022. He was prime minis ...

signed a

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

which extended his mandate by two years. This was opposed by opposition leaders which called it "a threat to the stability, peace and unity" and by the

international community The international community is an imprecise phrase used in geopolitics and international relations to refer to a broad group of people and governments of the world. As a rhetorical term Aside from its use as a general descriptor, the term is ...

History

On 25 April 2021, soldiers - mainly from

Hirshabelle Hirshabelle, officially Hirshabelle State of Somalia ( Somali: ''Dowlad Goboleedka Hirshabelle ee Soomaaliya''), is a Federal Member State in south-central Somalia. It is bordered by Galmudug state of Somalia to the north, South West State ...

- entered the Somali capital Mogadishu after president Mohamed approved two years extension of his term in office. Rebels seized northern part of the city clashing with pro-government forces in some neighborhoods. Pro-

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

soldiers attacked homes of former Somali president and opposition leader. By the end of the day government forces withdrew towards

Villa Somalia Villa Somalia ( so, Madaxtooyada Soomaaliya, ar, فيلا الصومال) is a building in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. It serves as the palace and principal workplace of the President of Somalia. History The edifice was built in the Ar ...

.Why Somalia’s Electoral Crisis Has Tipped into Violence
27 April 2021 On 6 May 2021, soldiers agreed to withdraw from Mogadishu after series of talks with the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

, held by the opposition. The

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

were set to take control of the city. On 8 May 2021, roads were reopened and rebels withdrew from Mogadishu in vehicles towards

Lower Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Gloucestershire, England See also *Nizhny Nizhny (russian: Ни́жний; masculine), Nizhnyaya (; feminine), or Nizhneye (russian: Ни́� ...

and

Middle Shabelle Middle Shabelle ( so, Shabeellaha Dhexe, ar, شبيلي الوسطى, it, Medio Scebeli) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia. Overview It is bordered by the Somali regions of Galguduud, Hiran, Lower Shabelle (Shabell ...

.Somalia: SNA mutineers exit Mogadishu following deal with opposition
8 May 2021

References

{{Somali Civil War (2009–present) 2021 in Somalia 2021 mutiny April 2021 events in Africa Conflicts in 2021 May 2021 events in Africa Somali Civil War (2009–present) Mutinies