Causes of Sunday’s Planned Anti-Government Protests in Mogadishu

Saturday May 9, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s opposition-backed Somali Future Council said Saturday that it will move ahead with Sunday’s demonstrations over forced evictions and demolitions in Mogadishu, brushing aside government demands that the protest be confined to one official venue.

The council said the rallies would remain peaceful and would unfold across districts in the Banadir region. It accused the federal government of pushing residents out of homes and businesses without proper legal procedure, compensation, or a valid 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 meant to stand up for 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 urged residents, particularly those affected by the demolitions, to turn out and “exercise their rights.”

Former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire said the protests would not end on Sunday if the concerns of displaced residents were left unresolved.

“The protests are not just for tomorrow. They will continue until the victims get their rights,” Khaire said.

Khaire accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government of arresting and intimidating young people and critics of the administration. He also called on security forces not to be deployed against demonstrators.

Former Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble likewise appealed to 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 long associated with peace and hospitality, but said some officials were now seeking to take residents’ property.

Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who chairs the Somali Future Council, said the demolitions and displacements had reached a point that could no longer be overlooked.

“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 tightly controlled to prevent disorder in the capital.

At a joint news conference with the Somali police commander and other security officials, the security minister said authorities had set Engineer Yarisow Stadium as the only approved protest location.

“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 supports freedom of assembly and expression, but insisted that protesters must stay within 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 called on the public to work with security agencies and steer clear of anything that could trigger unrest. They said peaceful, lawful demonstrations would be protected, while warning that efforts to disrupt security would not be tolerated.

The planned protest comes as political strains 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 remain central flashpoints in the standoff between the government and the opposition.

The clash over Sunday’s march follows two years of demolitions, forced evictions, and redevelopment projects in Mogadishu. Critics, including opposition figures and civil society groups, say authorities have removed residents without due process and failed to provide sufficient compensation.

Federal and Banadir officials have defended the demolitions, saying they are needed to reclaim public land and improve urban planning. But disputes over land ownership, legal authority, and compensation have fueled anger among displaced families and deepened political fault lines in the capital.