Somalia in lockdown for inauguration

SOMALIA’S capital Mogadishu was under security lockdown yesterday, with roads closed and commercial flights cancelled ahead of the inauguration of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.

Widely known by his nickname Farmajo, the president will be sworn-in at a ceremony held in the highly-secured airport zone to avoid an attack by the al-Qaeda linked al-Shabaab group which has threatened a “vicious war” against the new government.

“All major roads and streets inside and outside the capital were closed down last night, movement is restricted and only the vehicles of government officials are allowed to move,” police official Ibrahim Mohamed said.

“This is for security purposes and all commercial flights are cancelled today so that only aircraft carrying the delegation are allowed.”

Schools and businesses were also closed in a similar lockdown to one seen two weeks ago, when lawmakers gathered in an airport hangar to elect Farmajo. Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, as well as delegations from Kuwait and Egypt, have already arrived, with other regional leaders also expected.

Farmajo has already taken office following a handover ceremony last week during which alShabaab militants fired mortar shells near the presidential palace, killing two children at a nearby school, while a car bomb at a busy market killed 39 people on Sunday.

The president has promised a $100 000 reward (R1.3-million) for information on who carried out the attack. His election was met with elation among Somalis, who fondly remember his brief stint as prime minister in 2010-11 which showed him to be a no-nonsense leader set on improving governance and cracking down on corruption.

The al-Shabaab was forced out of the capital by African Union troops in 2011 but still controls parts of the countryside and carries out attacks against government, military and civilian targets. — AFP