Mogadishu, Somalia – At least five people have been killed and several others wounded in heavy fighting on Saturday in the capital, Mogadishu.
Saturday’s clash broke out after a group of military forces attempted to stop a demolition operation by the police in the Moalim Nur area of the capital, sparking an exchange of gunfire.
The police, along with a bulldozer, arrived to the village to demolish houses in an area where military wives and their children reside, a witness, who asked to be anonymous, said.
He said the military forces destroyed the bulldozer with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) and engaged in an hour-long gunfight with the police, resulting in the deaths of five people from the warring sides along with civilians.
Speaking to journalists, police spokesperson Abdifatah Aden said 12 people, including military soldiers, were arrested during an attempt to disrupt law enforcement operations and incite violence against security forces in the capital on Saturday.
Aden said the detainees will be brought to court, calling their actions unacceptable. “It’s unbelievable that soldiers sided with their clans against the police. We left that idea behind 30 years ago, and it won’t work in 2024,” he said.
On Sunday, new videos obtained by Mareeg Online from the scene showed the destruction of several houses in the area, with many families packing their possessions and leaving to escape further fighting between military and police units.
Anas Mohamed, a reporter from Shabelle TV, sneaked into the area unnoticed and reported that tensions are escalating as military forces, having left their front-line barracks in Lower Shabelle, arrived to protect their families from eviction.
Mohamed said they have set up new defensive positions, with some taking the high ground on top of buildings, while police, with orders to demolish houses occupied by military families, remain on the other side. He added that fighting could erupt at any moment.
Since Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was re-elected on May 15, 2022, his government has launched an operation to evict families residing on state-owned land in Mogadishu. Many families have already lost their makeshift shelters as a result of this operation.
Now, President Mohamud is embroiled in a controversy involving the sale of government-owned properties in the capital, where thousands of families were evicted forcibly. If proven true, this scandal could deal a significant blow to his political aspirations.
Critics allege that a group of businessmen is seeking to acquire state-owned lands for real estate development, offering a substantial sum of cash in return. This appears to be the biggest scandal involving the country’s president, who also serves as the highest-ranking civil servant and protector of state-owned properties.
Since the collapse of the central government in 1991, land grabbing has been a major issue in Mogadishu. This often involves high-ranking government officials misusing their position of authority to threaten citizens and take private and public land properties for their own personal gain. While widespread corruption created a culture of impunity, many residents fear reprisals and losing their houses in the capital, Mogadishu.
