MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Heavily armed members of Somalia’s security forces deployed in Mogadishu’s Oodwayne neighborhood on Sunday, accompanying bulldozers and military vehicles to mark homes for demolition, triggering protests from residents who say they legally own the land.
Tensions escalated when troops opened fire on demonstrators opposing the evictions, killing one woman and injuring at least five others, according to residents. The show of force has intensified fears among low-income families who live in the area due to its proximity to the city center and relative safety compared to other districts.
The government’s actions have sparked a wave of anger and panic in the community, where most residents rely on informal work in the nearby Bakara Market to support their families. Residents say they possess valid land ownership documents issued by the government, raising questions about the legality of the demolitions.
Locals allege the eviction campaign is being driven by influential businessmen with close ties to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. According to multiple residents, the businessmen have offered to purchase the entire neighborhood from the president in order to redevelop it into a high-end commercial zone. In return, they reportedly promised substantial financial rewards, similar to previous transactions in other parts of the capital where state-owned or inhabited land was demolished and sold off.
While Somali authorities have previously been accused of forcibly displacing tens of thousands of informal settlers from public land and selling the land to politically connected developers, this latest operation marks a troubling escalation. For the first time, entire neighborhoods with legally documented properties are being targeted.
Residents said only a small section of the area includes the former Odwayne military camp – public land dating back to the era of former President Mohamed Siad Barre – yet the entire neighborhood is now under threat of clearance. Some businessmen reportedly told community elders that no one, not even a returning Siad Barre, could stop them, suggesting confidence in their political backing and disregard for legal ownership status.
For many residents, the demolitions represent not just a loss of property, but a complete uprooting of lives painstakingly built over years or decades. With no alternative housing or compensation offered, families face homelessness and destitution.
While previous cases of land seizures were more isolated, this wide-scale operation has triggered alarm across Mogadishu. Observers warn it could set a precedent, further undermining public trust in legal land ownership and raising the specter of unchecked government-backed land grabs.
Opposition leaders, including former presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, and Abdiqasim Salad Hassan, have previously condemned the evictions. They accuse the government of orchestrating a campaign of illegal displacement and clandestine land auctions, with the proceeds allegedly enriching senior officials and the president directly.
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