Protests have taken place in the Somali capital Mogadishu against the assassination of Hamas’ Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh by Israel.
Students, business people and religious leaders came out in Mogadishu to show solidarity with the Palestinian people who have been facing an Israeli onslaught in Gaza and the West Bank since an October 7 attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, against Israel.
Protesters were led by famous Somali Islamic scholar Sheikh Abdi Hayi who slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the Friday rallies.
“There is no God but Allah, Netanyahu is an enemy of Allah,” protesters chanted.
Escalation fears
The Somalia government strongly condemned Haniyeh’s assassination on Wednesday and said it was a violation of international law.
Haniyeh, who was in the Iranian capital of Tehran for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian, was assassinated by an airstrike that targeted the building where he was staying.
Hamas and Iran have blamed Israel for the attack but Tel Aviv has neither claimed nor denied responsibility.
“Somalia fears an escalating pace of violence that could lead to more violations against civilians,” said the Somali Foreign Ministry, expressing “heartfelt condolences” to the Palestinian people.
Mogadishu condemns political killings and violence “in all its forms, whatever its motives are,” it said in a statement.
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