Mogadishu (AX) — The Somali authorities have mandated the evacuation of bodies from Bulusiya School cemetery to transform the plot into a naval training ground. This edict has compelled numerous families to disinter and re-bury their kin, igniting significant emotional turmoil and public dissent.
One of the affected individuals, Sade Buulle, recently unearthed and reburied his grandmother, Warsan Haji Mohamed. Warsan, who passed away in late 2019, had explicitly expressed her aversion to being interred in Mogadishu. The COVID-19 pandemic and logistical hurdles forced her family to lay her to rest at Bulusiya School cemetery, against her wishes.
“Thank goodness, it took us two full days to retrieve her from the grave we had buried her in five years ago. It was a heart-wrenching and overwhelming experience,” Sade remarked, reflecting on the emotional strain of the reburial process. Warsan’s remains have now been relocated to Aabudwaq in Galgaduud, respecting her initial wish.
Warsan, who lived to the age of 100, had clearly communicated her desire not to be buried in Mogadishu, Sade narrated to the BBC. “Gran’s last wish was not to be interred in Mogadishu. She made this plea while she was still in good health. Sadly, the raging COVID-19 virus at the time made it impossible to honor her request. We decided it would be best for her to join fellow Muslims in the cemetery,” Sade elaborated.
The reburial involved an additional funeral rite, attracting many mourners. “Today stung more than the day she initially passed and was buried. I hadn’t imagined even her few final meters on earth would be snatched away. That blindsided me,” Sade added.
The Somali government has granted families a ten-day window to relocate their loved ones from Bulusiya School cemetery. Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Noor, during an interview this week, accentuated the land’s importance to national objectives and encouraged adherence. “This affects us all, Somalian people and the nation at large. The Minister stated, the naval coast guard will be headquartered there,” he asserted.
The decision has riled Mogadishu’s populace, spurring protests. Demonstrators amassed near the site, wielding placards, chanting, and condemning the relocation, accusing the government of displaying disregard and lacking transparency.
To exacerbate matters, former Somali government spokesperson Abdirahman Osman countered Defense Minister Noor’s allegations that the previous administration had intentions to erect a hotel on the cemetery land. “These claims are unfounded, merely an attempt to legitimize current actions,” Osman declared.
Bulusiya School cemetery, located in the Hamar district next to the General Kahiya police camp, holds deep historical value for numerous families, exacerbating the emotional gravity of the exhumations. The state’s plan to convert the site into a naval training complex highlights the friction between development goals and community sentiments.
