The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) will not allow opposition candidates to hold demonstrations in Mogadishu.
Presidential candidates from the opposition had earlier announced plans to hold protests in Mogadishu.
Their anti-government protests were designed to highlight the inability of the government, under President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, to hold elections.
The protests were to take place on February 26 at Mogadishu’s Unknown Soldier’s Monument.
Opposition candidates were to hold the demonstrations on Friday after last week’s protests at the same venue failed to take off.
Last week, government deployed its troops along the roads leading to the venue of the protests.
The troops forcibly and violently dispersed the crowds that had started gathering at the Unknown Soldier’s Monument.
On Tuesday this week, the government declared that such demonstrations would not be allowed to take place.
The government cited the resurgence of COVID-19 as its reason for declaring the protests or large gatherings unwelcome.
