Mogadishu is reeling from a violent showdown between government security forces and opposition leaders, a crisis that has exposed Somalia’s fragile politics and deepening mistrust between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration and its critics. What began as protests over land seizures and forced evictions has spiraled into a broader battle over power, elections, and constitutional reform.
The tensions flared after the Council for Somali Salvation convened on September 21 to denounce government policies, including alleged land grabs that have displaced thousands. A follow-up rally at Hotel Jazeera drew hundreds of opposition politicians, lawmakers, and civil society figures. Displaced residents gave testimony, including elder Ahmed Siicoow, who recounted how his home was demolished while he slept. His clan ties to the president turned his story into a lightning rod, intensifying political outrage.
The next day, plainclothes officers attacked Siicoow and a woman near his Mogadishu home, beating and dragging them before detaining them at a police station. Senior commanders later issued an apology, but by then videos of the assault had spread online, triggering public outcry.
Leaders of Somalia’s Salvation Forum, headed by Sherif Sheikh Ahmed, denounced the incident as “a profound wound and a serious injustice,” cautioning security forces against persistently targeting vulnerable citizens. They called on Somalis to offer support to displaced families and warned the government not to undermine constitutional rights.
The opposition attempted to visit the victims directly, but their convoy came under fire after a standoff with police commanders. Hours later, opposition leaders moved to Siinaay neighborhood to show solidarity with displaced residents, where clashes erupted again. Live rounds and even an RPG were used; a bodyguard for former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire was killed, another was injured, and bullets struck the armored car of former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, now head of the opposition council.
The government accused the opposition of freeing al-Shabaab detainees and other criminals, while police claimed opposition groups had attacked a station housing the police commissioner and regional commander. The opposition, in turn, announced plans for peaceful protests across Mogadishu on September 27, though Banadir governor Dr. Hassan Hussein Muungaab warned unauthorized demonstrations would not be permitted.
Adding to the tensions, former Minister of Religious Affairs Omar Ali Roble, businessman Abdulqadir Mahmoud Elmi (Bullaale), and 90-year-old elder Haji Ali Iiman were arrested after speaking against forced evictions. A former prime minister called their detention “repression, intimidation, and an attempt to silence the voice of the people,” urging their immediate release.
On Friday night, September 26th, traditional elders and a group of lawmakers held a meeting at Jazeera Hotel and reached an agreement to postpone the planned opposition protests for nine days. The aim is to create space for negotiations on how to resolve the situation of the peaceful demonstrations. The move appears to be part of a government strategy to divide the opposition, potentially weakening their momentum and eroding the public anger fueled by recent forced evictions and land seizures.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, currently in New York for the UN General Assembly, is expected back in Mogadishu in three days to reopen the federal parliament. His return will coincide with a political crisis that is no longer confined to debates over land, but rooted in long-standing disputes over Somalia’s democratic transition, constitutional amendments, and the balance of power.
The events of the past week highlight the combustible mix of security force heavy-handedness, opposition defiance, and public discontent. For many Somalis, the clashes have reinforced fears that political competition is tipping into outright confrontation, with the state’s stability hanging in the balance.