Somalia’s opposition leaders have called for mass protests next Sunday, condemning what they described as illegal demolitions and forced evictions in the capital.
Former Somali president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and other leaders of the opposition-backed Council for Somalia’s Future on Thursday announced they would lead demonstrations against the government, urging residents displaced from their homes to join the protests.
“The right to housing and the freedom to demonstrate is a constitutional right and not a privilege that can be curtailed by the State,” Sheikh Sharif said.
The opposition accused the government of overseeing a sustained campaign of demolitions targeting informal settlements in Mogadishu.
They argue that the operations have displaced hundreds of thousands of vulnerable residents over the past two years, deepening an already severe internally displaced persons (IDP) crisis in the capital.
Several neighbourhoods in Mogadishu have seen demolitions and displacement operations in recent days, with some incidents escalating into armed confrontations.
Late Wednesday, government troops launched an operation in the Warlaliska area of the Dayniile district, where they encountered armed resistance from residents, according to witnesses and local reports.
Reports indicated that several people were killed in the fighting, although the exact death toll remained unclear.
Tensions remained high in the area on Thursday. This comes as the four-year term of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud expires on May 15, 2026.
MG/as/APA