Indha’ade told a reporter that “there is no a government in Somalia and that the President’s term of office had ended”. He said that it was his responsibility to take over the security of the venue.”
Earlier today the former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed paid a visit to the Unknown Soldier’s Monument and described the planned demonstration as “a peaceful expression” to ensure that Somalia will have free and fair elections.
Indha’ade, who is a brigadier general despite never having joined the Somali Army, was previously the Defence Secretary of the former Union of Islamic Courts.
He is remembered for making threats to attack Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia in 2006, prompting the Ethiopian Government Forces to intervene in Somalia on grounds of “self-defence and protecting the fledgling Transitional Federal Government of Somalia”.
The Union of Somali Presidential Candidates have yet to clarify their position on the apparent violation of the need to avoid the use of an inflammatory language, one of the ground rules agreed before the demonstration.
This article first appeared in the © Puntland Post, 2021 and is republished with permission