Mogadishu, Somalia – Forced land evictions in Mogadishu have escalated into a major political confrontation, transforming a local dispute into a national flashpoint. The crisis erupted after the demolition of Engineer Siicoow’s home in the Sinai area. Witnesses say he was physically prevented from protecting his property and later beaten by security personnel accompanying the demolition crew. Footage of the incident rapidly circulated online, triggering public anger.
Opposition leaders, including former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and ex-prime ministers Hassan Ali Khaire and Abdi Farah Shirdon, denounced the evictions as unlawful and described them as part of a wider pattern of government-backed land grabbing. Sharif’s National Salvation Forum accused the administration of dispossessing residents under the pretext of redevelopment. Though the Forum threatened protests, it temporarily suspended them after mediation by elders and business figures.
Clashes erupted as residents protested in several neighborhoods, blocking roads and confronting police. Security forces responded with force, allegedly beating demonstrators and arresting dozens. Opposition MPs attempting to visit detainees were obstructed, with some claiming their convoys were shot at.
The government insists it is acting lawfully by reclaiming idle land for public benefit. Officials accuse the opposition of spreading misinformation and inciting unrest. Prime Minister Barre went as far as calling a recent attack on a police station a “failed coup attempt.”
The dispute has grown into a wider reckoning over land rights, accountability, and the limits of state power, with analysts warning it could deepen political instability if unresolved.