MOGADISHU, Somalia — Grieving families staged a protest in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on Sunday, demanding answers after at least two civilians were killed and nine others wounded during an alleged forced eviction.
Men and women stood shoulder to shoulder at Daljirka Dahsoon in the Boondheere district, raising placards and photographs of the victims while calling on authorities to investigate the violence.
The protest came a day after police opened fire on residents resisting forced evictions in Buula Maaxay and Al-Adaala villages in the Kaaran and Hilwaa districts, leaving two people dead.
Witnesses and local media said security forces tried to clear land considered state-owned, sparking resistance followed by gunfire.
Somali police have not released a statement on Saturday’s violence. The casualty figures reported by residents could not be independently verified.
Reliable sources suggest that a group of businessmen is vying to acquire the land for real estate development, offering a substantial sum of cash in return.
This appears to be one of the biggest scandals involving the country’s top leaders, who also serve as the highest-ranking civil servants and protectors of state-owned properties.
Since the collapse of the central government in 1991, many state-owned buildings have been occupied by families, with some using them as makeshift shelters and others making them their homes.
Land grabbing has become a major issue in Mogadishu. It often involves senior government officials misusing their power to intimidate individuals and seize both public and private land for personal gain.
Many locals fear retaliation and the loss of their homes, while rampant corruption has fostered a culture of impunity, further complicating equitable land management in the capital, Mogadishu.