Somali forces stage mutiny in the capital Mogadishu over unpaid salaries

MOGADISHU, Somalia- Hundreds of Somalia military forces have blocked main roads in Mogadishu, and impeded the business to protest over lack of regular pay of salaries for more than a year, Garowe Online reports.

The mutinous Somali government forces have barricaded the streets in Mogadishu, including KM-4 junction, Makka Al Mukarama road and KM-5 which link the airport to Villa Somalia.

GO reporter in Mogadishu says the military soldiers ordered traders along the blocked roads to close their business and placed barbed wires on the main streets disrupting the traffic for an hour.

The forces were angered after the Federal government has failed to pay their payments for 15 months, Colonel Mohamed Hashi a senior Military commander told GO over the phone from Mogadishu.

After an hour of standoff, top military commanders of the Federal Government, including the chief of SNA managed to end the short mutiny and convince the soldiers to return back to their military bases.

The new Somali government led by President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo elected last month, has promised to regularly pay the armed forces who are fighting the Al Qaida-linked Al shabaab group.

This comes less than two week after mutinous Puntland state forces demanding overdue salaries have seized the Parliament compound and custom office in Garowe city. 

GAROWEONLINE