Somalia is dealing with multiple crises, with political rivalries that have descended into violent clashes, while the government loses international support for its fight against the powerful Islamist insurgent group, Al-Shabaab.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has tried to move Somalia towards fully democratic elections, replacing the clan-based system in which elders pick their representatives.

But his opponents see the reforms as a power grab, especially after the president declared a “transition period” that gave him an extra year in office when his term ended in May.