At least 24 people have been confirmed dead and over 200 others wounded following fierce and devastating clashes that erupted in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, this past week. The fighting, which began on Wednesday and persisted through Thursday, has caused widespread destruction across the city and severely intensified tensions among Somalia’s political leaders. In tandem with the violence, opposition party leaders have leveled grave allegations against the federal government.
According to prominent opposition figures, the government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud deployed Turkish-supplied “kamikaze” suicide drones to target opposition forces within the city. These allegations have sent shockwaves through Somalia’s political landscape and international diplomatic circles.
Former Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire reported that federal government troops launched a sudden assault on a compound in the Howlwadag district, where he was holding a meeting with traditional elders. Following the initial attack, fierce gun battles broke out between forces loyal to Khaire and the regular national army.
“In addition to mortar fire, the federal government launched these kamikaze drones directly from the presidential palace (Villa Somalia) to target us. This attack was a deliberate, cowardly plot aimed at eliminating me alongside the 60 clan leaders and intellectuals gathered at the venue.”
The leaders had reportedly convened to discuss frameworks for mediation and to find a political resolution to prevent further bloodshed amid the country’s ongoing political stalemate.
Another prominent opposition figure, Abdirahman Abdishakur, fiercely criticized the Turkish government, accusing Ankara of directly interfering in Somalia’s internal political crisis. Abdishakur asserted that Ankara is standing firmly behind President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who is currently gridlocked over delayed national elections.
The opposition leader further alleged that advanced weaponry and suicide drones, originally supplied by Turkey to aid Somalia in its fight against the terrorist group Al-Shabaab, are now being repurposed and redirected to eliminate domestic political opponents.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Yusuf Garma’adiid, spokesman for the Himilo party of former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. Garma’adiid charged that Turkey’s “blind support” for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is driving Somalia toward total destruction. He noted that Turkey’s once-towering reputation and immense goodwill among the Somali public are now severely fracturing due to its perceived complicity in backing the government’s crackdown on political rivals.
The severity of the clashes was laid bare on Thursday when opposition forces publicly displayed armored military vehicles—originally donated by Turkey to the Somali national army—that had been captured and destroyed during Wednesday night’s intense fighting. Opposition leaders pointed to this as concrete proof that the government deployed heavy, foreign-supplied weaponry against them.
Furthermore, Garma’adiid disclosed another high-stakes incident that occurred on Friday involving former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. According to the spokesman, as Ahmed was vacating his residence in the Marinayo neighborhood under an internationally brokered diplomatic mediation agreement, his convoy was intercepted and surrounded by federal government troops. Garma’adiid characterized the encounter as a “targeted assassination attempt,” boldly claiming that the operation was directly coordinated with foreign governments, specifically pointing the finger at Ankara.
To date, the Turkish government has issued no official comment or response regarding these severe and consecutive allegations leveled by the Somali opposition. Meanwhile, the situation in Mogadishu remains highly volatile as the international community closely monitors the unfolding crisis.
