Sunday February 21, 2021
The Federal Government of Somalia has said that the ongoing protests in the country over the elections will not subvert the peace and progress gained thus far in the country.
In a press statement issued by the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government condemned the violence against members of the Somali Security Forces carried out by “security personnel of the prospective presidential candidates on the night of 19th February 2021.”
The government called out some of the nation’s leaders for seeking to “bring instability at precisely the moment the FGS, with the support of the Somali people are protecting Somalia’s integrity ad independence, while regaining their dignity and honour as an equal among the nation states of the globe.”
The FGS further said it would hold an election in order to pave way for moving forward the realization of the aspiration of the Somali people for peace and prosperity.
This comes a day after the United Nations said it is “deeply concerned” by the clashes that rocked Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, overnight and on Friday morning between opposition and security forces.
In a message published on Twitter, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia called for calm and restraint by all parties involved, and urged that open lines of communication be maintained to help reduce tensions.