Former Somali security minister says forces entered his Mogadishu hotel
He rejected the government’s account that the operation was a standard security inspection, saying instead that it was meant to ruin his business, steal its assets and pressure him politically.
Saturday June 6, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali security minister Abdullahi Mohamed Nur on Saturday accused federal forces of raiding and seizing his Elite Hotel in Mogadishu, describing the operation as a politically driven move against him.
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Abdullahi said troops arrived at the hotel around 11:30 a.m. with heavy weapons and explosives, then gathered the staff and guards inside before taking complete control of the property.
He rejected the government’s account that the operation was a standard security inspection, saying instead that it was meant to ruin his business, steal its assets and pressure him politically.
Abdullahi further alleged that the officers brought the heavy weapons themselves in order to later claim they had been discovered inside the hotel. He placed responsibility on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration, saying the forces were acting on federal orders.
The federal government has not immediately responded to Abdullahi’s allegations.
The episode occurred hours after Somali security forces launched an operation in Mogadishu’s Abdiaziz district to recover illegal weapons allegedly used by armed groups during recent clashes in the capital.
The Banadir Regional Police Command said Saturday that weapons had been concealed in several places in the district and that officers were carrying out searches to confiscate them as part of broader efforts to restore calm in Mogadishu.
Police warned that anyone caught storing, hiding or helping transport illegal weapons would face legal consequences.
Abdullahi, who once served in senior government roles, recently aligned himself with the opposition after denouncing the federal government’s handling of Somalia’s electoral process.
The hotel takeover comes amid rising political strain in Mogadishu after several days of fighting between government forces and opposition-aligned armed groups. The violence erupted following disagreements over planned opposition protests, constitutional amendments and President Mohamud’s mandate.
Opposition figures say the federal government is using security operations to silence political dissent. Federal officials, meanwhile, maintain that the measures are necessary to safeguard public order and stop armed groups from destabilizing the capital.
