Former al Shabaab leader Mukhtar Robow attends a news conference in Baidoa, Somalia November 4, 2018. Robow supporters angered by his arrest clashed with police backed by Ethiopian peacekeeping forces in Baidoa, said Hussein Aden, a military officer in the city. Baidoa residents said the city had calmed down in the afternoon but was still tense, with most businesses staying closed and residents staying indoors. The elections are a critical juncture in a growing power struggle between the U.S.-backed central government and regions where al Shabaab militants retain a presence following a long civil war. Robow was a prominent al Shabaab leader and group spokesman before he publicly renounced violence and recognized federal authority in August 2017.

Source: Ethiopian News December 14, 2018 08:47 UTC