Somalia's armed opposition block roads leading to presidential palace
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The Somali Guardian reports that armed opposition groups are blocking the roads that lead to the presidential palace against a backdrop of a feud between the president and a prime minister.
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Somalia, recovering from decades of civil war, is facing a dire political crisis (Reuters)
Somalian armed opposition groups are planning to block roads that lead to President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's house in the capital, Mogadishu, after his political opponent PM Mohamed Hussein Roble was ousted, according to the Somali Guardian on Monday.
The sources for the Somali Guardian reported that armored combat vehicles are parked at the gates of the residence, while heavily armed groups roam parts of the capital, carrying the intention to block roads leading to the president's house.
President suspends prime minister amid election dispute
Earlier on Monday, President Mohamed dismissed Roble, accusing him of grabbing land from the Somalian naval forces for personal gain. The president also said that Roble has attempted to undermine the investigation into the allegation -- something that Roble repeatedly denied.
The Somalian military supported Roble, deeming the president's accusations as an attempt to incite a coup.
The UK and US embassies called on de-escalation of the tensions.
This is one of the latest events from the conflict between the president and the prime minister.
In September, Somali media reported that the president suspended operations at Roble's office for a determined period of time because of a feud over the head of the intelligence's resignation. After settling their differences later on in October, the two cooperated to let the elections flow, allowing Roble to assume authority.
