By Mohammed Dhaysane
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - Citing security reasons, police in Somalia on Saturday announced a curfew in the capital Mogadishu ahead of the country’s long-delayed presidential election scheduled for Sunday.
Abdifitah Aden Hassan, a police spokesman, said movement of the people and traffic will not be allowed, adding the curfew will last until 6:00 a.m. local time on Monday after the election results are announced.
A total of 329 lawmakers from both upper and lower houses of parliament will vote at a heavily guarded compound of the Aden Adde International Airport in the capital to elect the country’s new president on Sunday.
Forces of the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) will maintain the security of the election venue and have imposed a total lockdown in the area.
Besides political instability, the East African country faces an insurgency by al-Shabaab, a terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda.
On Wednesday, at least three people were killed and seven others wounded when a suicide bomb blast targeted a security checkpoint near the airport.