Somalia election violence

This item appears on page 5 of the April 2021 issue.

In Mogadishu, Somalia, gunfire broke out on Feb. 19 as people defied a ban on public gatherings and protested a delayed presidential election. According to witnesses, soldiers and armed guards protecting protesters fired on each other as protests neared the presidential palace. No deaths were reported as of press time. Flights at Mogadishu’s airport were temporarily suspended after artillery shells landed nearby.