Explainer: What is behind Sunday’s planned anti-government protests in Mogadishu?
MOGADISHU—Somalia’s opposition-aligned Somali Future Council vowed Saturday that planned demonstrations against forced evictions and demolitions in Mogadishu will go ahead Sunday, rejecting government efforts to restrict the protest to a single designated site.
The council said the demonstrations would be peaceful and would take place across districts in the Banadir region. The group accused the federal government of displacing residents from homes and businesses without adequate legal process, compensation or justification.
Federal and Banadir regional authorities insisting the protest would be allowed only at Engineer Yarisow Stadium, warning that demonstrations elsewhere in the capital would not be permitted because of security concerns. The dispute has raised tensions in Mogadishu ahead of a politically sensitive day that also includes a planned meeting between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and opposition leaders.
MP Abdirahman Abdishakuur Warsame, one of the politicians leading the protest campaign, said after a meeting in Mogadishu that the demonstration was intended to defend people displaced by demolitions and land seizures.
“This demonstration is a peaceful demonstration. It is a demonstration against the displacement and plunder of the land of the Somali people,” Abdishakuur said, claiming that hundreds of thousands of people had been forced from homes and businesses.
He called on residents, especially those displaced by the demolitions, to attend the rallies and “exercise their rights.”
Former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire said the protests would continue beyond Sunday if the grievances of displaced residents were not addressed.
“The protests are not just for tomorrow. They will continue until the victims get their rights,” Khaire said.
Khaire accused the government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of arresting and intimidating young people and government critics. He urged security forces not to be used against demonstrators.
Former Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble also called on Mogadishu residents to join the protest, saying the city’s people needed to “stand up for the defense of the displaced.”
“Every citizen who has any feelings for the people of Mogadishu should protest today,” Roble said. He described Mogadishu as a city known for peace and hospitality, but said some officials were now trying to seize residents’ property.
Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, chairman of the Somali Future Council, said the demolitions and displacement had become impossible to ignore.
“This year has been a year of looting and displacement,” Sharif said. “We oppose the oppression of the people who have been displaced from their homes.”
Government officials, however, said the protest must be held under strict conditions to avoid unrest in the capital.
At a joint news conference with the Somali police commander and other security officials, the security minister said authorities had assigned Engineer Yarisow Stadium as the official protest site.
“I am ordering the security forces to protect the demonstration site and the participating citizens, and to prevent anything that threatens security,” the minister said. He added that protests outside the designated location would not be allowed.
Banadir Governor and Mogadishu Mayor Hassan Mohamed Hussein Muungaab said the administration supported freedom of assembly and expression but insisted that protesters must comply with the law.
“Everyone has the right to express their opinion, but it is not permissible to harass other citizens or damage public property,” Muungaab said.
Authorities urged the public to cooperate with security agencies and avoid actions that could cause chaos. They said peaceful and lawful demonstrations would be protected, but warned that any attempt to undermine security would not be tolerated.
The planned protest comes as political tensions deepen between the federal government and opposition leaders over land demolitions, constitutional changes and the electoral process.
President Mohamud has invited the Somali Future Council for talks Sunday on major national issues, including the constitution and elections. Both issues remain central points of dispute between the government and opposition.
The confrontation over Sunday’s protest follows two years of demolitions, forced evictions and redevelopment projects in Mogadishu. Critics, including opposition figures and civil society groups, accuse authorities of removing residents without due process and failing to provide adequate compensation.
Federal and Banadir officials have defended the demolitions, saying they are necessary to reclaim public land and improve urban planning. But disputes over land ownership, legal authority and compensation have fueled anger among displaced families and sharpened political divisions in the capital.
Dawn Africa puts the number of eviction-targeted persons at 12,000.
See also:
VDB entry: Banadir
“Roundup: One killed in Mogadishu protest over forced evictions,” Xinhua (11 May 2026)
“Families across the Somali capital in support of families displaced” [video], Aljazeera (10 May 2026)
Photo: Screenshot from reel on IDPs from recent demolitions in Mogadishu, where hundreds of families have been left homeless by a surge of forced evictions. Residents say their homes were demolished, often without warning or the opportunity to challenge government-led actions. Source: Reuters.
| Themes |
| • Displaced • Displacement • Forced evictions • Local • Low income • Project management • Property rights • Public policies • Urban planning |
