Bakaara market traders protest alleged government plan to sell market privately

Thursday March 26, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — A sweeping protest gripped Mogadishu’s Bakaara Market on Wednesday as hundreds of traders flooded the streets, accusing Somalia’s federal government of moving to shut down the country’s largest commercial hub so the land can be transferred to wealthy businessmen with connections to officials.

Demonstrators cut off major routes leading into the market, denouncing what they said was an impending eviction that would wipe out livelihoods built over years. Traders alleged the authorities were preparing to clear the site and hand it over to private investors.

During the rally, protesters appealed directly to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, urging him to step in and stop any planned removal.

“We cannot accept a private group buying this market from the government,” one female trader said, insisting she would stay on the land despite the threat of displacement. Younger merchants repeated the warning, saying they would resist any attempt to push them out of their stalls and shops.

One vendor, a mother who said she has worked at Bakaara Market for 28 years, told fellow protesters she could not accept losing the only livelihood she has known after decades of trade.

Traders stressed that Bakaara is an economic backbone for families across the capital, calling on the government to safeguard their businesses and arguing that the dispute should be kept out of political battles.

Founded in the 1970s, Bakaara Market functions as Somalia’s biggest wholesale and retail center, employing thousands and supplying goods to Mogadishu and far beyond. Traders warned that any interruption to daily activity there could ripple through the wider economy.

Wednesday’s unrest unfolds as the Somali government continues land reclamation campaigns, particularly in Mogadishu, where officials have pursued efforts to repossess public plots occupied informally for development. Authorities say the push is meant to recover public assets and modernize urban infrastructure, typically with prior notice and, in some instances, alternative resettlement options.

Critics, including opposition groups and communities affected by earlier actions, have countered that public land — including market land — has been sold to private investors through opaque processes. Past eviction drives in the capital have at times erupted into confrontations between residents and security forces, underscoring how volatile land disputes remain in Somalia’s fragile urban setting.

The federal government has not released an official response to the allegations involving Bakaara Market. Traders say President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud previously promised that the market would not be disturbed and would be preserved as it is.