Mogadishu clashes: What we know about commanders joined opposition

The situation has returned to normal on Monday despite fears that the battle could restart at any time, and there are growing calls for calm from the international community and local elders, and civil society.

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Mogadishu clashes: What we know about commanders joined opposition

MOGADISHU, Somalia - After more than 4 years in power Somalia's president, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo looks destined to become the next dictator to be toppled as four powerful military commanders, including senior generals, defected from the regime, promising to protect opposition candidates in Mogadishu.

The regime is crumbling, there is very little support left for the Farmajo now with pro-opposition soldiers captured key villages around the presidential palace in the capital after Sunday night heavy clashes.

Tension has been running high in Mogadishu after the political crisis over the election turned violent as the presidential candidates’ alliance began mobilizing forces in all corners of the city to toppled Farmajo.

Fighting broke out in northern and southern parts of Mogadishu during iftar after government forces trained by Turkey have attacked the residence of former president Hassan Sheikh in Abdulaziz district of Mogadishu. 

The situation has returned to normal on Monday despite fears that the battle could restart at any time, and there are growing calls for calm from the international community and local elders, and civil society.

The violence has caused splits within Somali national army forces who are currently divided into two opposing and government camps and this, if not quickly stopped would lead to another gory civil war.

Powerful military commanders joined the opposition

1 - Sadak John

Brigadier General Sadak John, a long-time confidant of the president announced he would support "the opposition candidates after was sacked this month for trying to suspend parliament session on April 12.

The Somali-British man has served as Mogadishu police commander for several years during Farmajo’s presidency. Many soldiers under his command duck trenches in Shirkole area to resist SNA forces.

The officer, whose real name is Sadak Omar Hassan popularly known as [Sadak John], was born in the Somali region of Ethiopia. He moved to Mogadishu in 1993s. He returned to Somalia in 2014 from the UK.

He first worked with the country’s spy agency [NISA] under the leadership of Fahad Yasin, a Qatari ally, and was in charge of the central regions before being appointed as Mogadishu police boss in mid-2019.

2 - Indha-ade

Yusuf Mohammed Siyad alias (Indha-ade), a retired general in the Somali national army [SNA] who once served as state minister for defense between 2009 –2010 in the former transitional federal government.

He rose to fame in 2002 as governor of the Lower Shabelle region and during the Union of an Islamic court battle against the Ethiopia forces invaded Somalia in 2006 to protect late President Abdullahi Yusuf.

Gen Indha-adde became part of the Islamist resistance group, formed in January 2008 known as Hizbul Islam. He however soon left after an internal conflict in the group led by now jailed Hassan Dahir Aweys.

3 - Major Ismail Abdimalik

He served as the commander of the US-trained Danab special forces since 2019 before being sacked in October last year, becoming the 6th commander to hold the position since the inception of the brigade.

The little-known commander was trained by the US and led several covert operations against Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked group in the southern volatile Lower Shabelle region during his time with Danab.

Danab operated from the Beleddoogle air base camp, about 100 kilometers northwest of Mogadishu has been touted as a model for rebuilding the Somali National Army [SNA].

4 - Hadole

Osman Hadole was one of the high-ranking Somali military officers in the Middle Shabelle region. He was fired after leading an attack on a police convoy traveling to Jowhar which left soldiers dead in 2014.

Somali Police issued an arrest warrant for him in April 2014 on charges for the alleged war crimes. But all attempts to bring the powerful military man to the book did not yield fruits. 

Somalia is now 'on the brink of civil war as the opposition says they have mobilized their forces in the capital to step up the fight against the former president who rejected to hold election and handover the power to an elected successor. 

The United Nations [UN] and other international partners have warned that the country could slide into a prolonged conflict that would have a devastating impact on the people.

KEYDMEDIA English

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