Mogadishu police blocked vehicles carrying opposition Members of Parliament on Maka Al-Mukarama Street, the main road to Parliament and Villa Somalia, between 1:45 PM and 2:45 PM UTC on February 7, 2026, using names and photographs to deny entry for a controversial constitutional amendment session, according to Cabdalleaxmed on X. Officers prevented over 19 opposition MPs from accessing the chamber, where police took control and barred journalists, prompting MPs like Abdilatif Muse Nur to live-stream proceedings on Facebook, as reported by Cabdalleaxmed. Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed condemned the unilateral constitutional changes as irresponsible, warning they threaten Somalia's state system, per TheDailySomalia. Abdirahman Abdishakur issued a statement criticizing the efforts as security pressure and procedural manipulation amid political division, drought, and a near-expired presidential mandate under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, stating such actions undermine trust and international confidence, according to his X post during the hour. This continues earlier blockades at Parliament entrance by Police Commander Mahdi Omar Muumin, a former al-Shabaab member, where opposition MPs were denied access between 10:15 and 11:15 AM UTC, per previous Cabdalleaxmed and BaidoaOnline reports. Critics warn the amendments risk prejudging opposition talks with less than two months left in Mohamud's term.
