MOGADISHU — Somalia’s opposition coalition, the Somali Salvation Council, has formally announced a series of nationwide anti-government demonstrations scheduled to begin in Mogadishu on 4 June, amid deepening political tensions over the country’s electoral process and constitutional order.

The opposition said the protests would continue every Thursday until a consensual agreement is reached on Somalia’s electoral framework, which has become the centre of an increasingly bitter dispute between the federal government and opposition groups.

Speaking at a joint press conference held at Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu, senior opposition leaders described the upcoming demonstration as a “major public mobilisation,” urging Somali citizens to participate in what they called a campaign to “defend the constitution and safeguard the future of the country.”

The opposition also intensified its criticism of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing him of remaining in office beyond the expiry of his constitutional mandate on 15 May. Opposition leaders argued that the president no longer possesses the political legitimacy necessary to continue governing Somalia.

Former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed stated that the planned demonstrations would offer citizens an opportunity to peacefully express their political views and opposition to the current direction of the government.

“The people of Mogadishu will come out on 4 June to make their voices heard regarding the ongoing political process,” Sheikh Sharif said.

Opposition politician Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame further alleged that the opposition had received information indicating possible plans by the government to deploy security forces against critics of Villa Somalia.

“President Hassan Sheikh does not tolerate hearing the words ‘protest’ or ‘former president,’ but we will not be intimidated or silenced,” Abdirahman Abdishakur told reporters.

The announcement comes at a time of mounting political uncertainty in Somalia, following the collapse of recent negotiations between the federal government and opposition leaders in Mogadishu. Disputes surrounding electoral arrangements, governance reforms, and accusations of institutional term extensions have significantly widened divisions within the country’s political landscape.

No immediate response had been issued by the federal government regarding the opposition’s protest plans at the time of publication.