An agreement sponsored by the Prime Minister .. Somali opposition forces vacate their positions in the capital, Mogadishu

The Somali opposition forces evacuated many of their positions in Mogadishu and began returning to their barracks, as part of an agreement reached by the Somali Prime Minister, Mohamed Hassan Robley and the Council of Candidates’ Union, to end the state of tension over the two-year extension of the Somali president’s term.

The process was supervised by a joint committee of deputies and ministers, representing the government and the opposition, after the Prime Minister assumed the task of security and management of the electoral process, which faces several challenges.

Vehicles equipped with machine guns left opposition strongholds in northern Mogadishu, while Ruble announced that the soldiers had agreed to return to their barracks after negotiations with opposition politicians.

An agreement to end the months-long crisis included demands that pro-opposition forces return to barracks within 48 hours, soldiers move away from political life, and a pledge not to punish soldiers who supported the opposition.

Somalia has been witnessing a political crisis since the new elections were postponed and the term of President Mohamed Abdullah Farmajo was extended for two years. The opposition refuses to accept the extension. The European Union and the United States have also criticized this step and threatened to impose sanctions.

On Saturday, the Somali parliament members supported the cancellation of the two-year term extension decision that they had agreed to last month, after the outbreak of violence reinforced fears of a slide into an all-out war between the forces supporting the president and those opposing him.