Residents say one killed, another wounded in North Western State of Somalia protest
The unrest followed the recent arrest of Sultan Qabile in Mandera district. Residents said anger over the detention quickly spilled into the streets of Sheikh, where crowds gathered before confrontations erupted between demonstrators and security forces.
Friday June 5, 2026
Hargeisa (AX) — A protest in Sheikh district in North Western State of Somalia’s Sahil region turned deadly on Thursday, leaving one person dead and another injured, according to residents and witnesses.
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The unrest followed the recent arrest of Sultan Qabile in Mandera district. Residents said anger over the detention quickly spilled into the streets of Sheikh, where crowds gathered before confrontations erupted between demonstrators and security forces.
The woman killed was identified by residents as Anab Omar Jama. The condition of the injured person was not immediately known.
One protester said security forces opened fire with live ammunition, alleging that civilians were struck during the violence.
North Western State of Somalia authorities had not commented on the incident by Thursday night and had not addressed the accusations that officers used excessive force.
Lawyer Guleed Dafac, who advocates police reform, urged an independent inquiry. He said the law requires officers to match any use of force to the level of threat they face.
The killing has intensified longstanding scrutiny of how North Western State of Somalia police respond to protests and public gatherings. Civil society groups and rights advocates have repeatedly accused security forces of using heavy-handed tactics during demonstrations.
In 2025, at least 19 people were killed during protests in Borama. In 2023, at least seven people died during opposition-led demonstrations.
Those deaths fueled renewed demands for crowd-control reforms, greater accountability and stricter police conduct at public protests.
North Western State of Somalia’s current government pledged during its election campaign, and again after taking office, to strengthen civil rights protections and curb the use of force in handling demonstrations.
Yet the repeated deaths and injuries recorded during protests have raised fresh doubts over whether those promises have translated into real changes in how security forces operate.
