Somali premier orders truce after Mogadishu clashes

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – Somalia's prime minister ordered on Monday an immediate cease-fire following hours-long clashes between opposition groups and Somali forces in the capital Mogadishu.

Mohamed Hussein Roble made the announcement after a meeting with civil society groups, traditional elders and scholars in Mogadishu.

“I call for an urgent meeting to resolve the crisis in Mogadishu. I thank the civil society members for their role in resolving this issue and call on the people to be calm. Stop the fighting,” he said in a statement.

He ordered the security forces to ensure the security of citizens in the Horn of Africa country.

Several firefights were reported as former president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sunday accused government forces of attacking his home in Mogadishu. The government, however, denied the accusation.

The development came amid ongoing election stalemate as President Mohamed Abdullah Mohamed's constitutional mandate expired on Feb 8. The parliament extended his mandate for two more years.