Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said that the Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab militants are planning to disrupt the country’s election.
Addressing at a meeting with AMISOM commanders in Mogadishu, Mohamud said that Al Shabaab could do everything it can to stop Somalia from holding election in 2016.
“Somalia is in election period, our enemy will do all that they can to disrupt this election and deny us to rejoice the progress we made in the past four years,” Mohamud said.
He hailed AMISOM for the sacrifices made in the past nine years to help the violence-wracked country defeat Al Shabaab and restore peace and stability, reiterating the call to keep on the fight against Al Shabaab, militants who are struggling to overthrow his government.
Recently, Somalia’s Election Commission chairman Omar Mohamed Abdulle announced that the country’s 2016 presidential election will take place on October 30, with incumbent president Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud is among dozens of candidates vying for the presidency.
The commission said the election of 275-member Lower House will be held from September 24 to October 10 while the election of Upper House should be completed by September 25.
More than 14,000 delegates representing Somalia clans will cast their votes for members of the Lower House, while the regional states will select the members of the Upper House.
