In Mogadishu, fear grows of a return to Somalia’s violent political past

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – As Somalia edged toward another political precipice, opposition leaders in Mogadishu on Monday announced plans for a fresh wave of demonstrations on May 16, one day after the constitutional mandate of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is set to expire, deepening fears that the Horn of Africa nation could once again slide into a dangerous confrontation over power and legitimacy.

The announcement came amid mounting tensions in the Somali capital after security forces thwarted an opposition-led protest planned for Sunday, deploying thousands of troops across Mogadishu in an extraordinary show of force that effectively sealed off large sections of the city overnight.

The failed demonstrations had initially been organized to protest what opposition figures described as the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of residents from neighborhoods in Mogadishu, where homes were demolished and land allegedly transferred to influential businessmen and politically connected elites. Opposition leaders accused the Somali federal government of overseeing an aggressive campaign of evictions that had stripped vulnerable families of their homes and livelihoods.

In an effort to avoid being cornered by security forces, senior Somali opposition politicians dispersed across various districts of the capital ahead of Sunday’s planned rallies, intending to lead demonstrations from multiple locations simultaneously. But authorities moved swiftly. Armored vehicles surrounded residences where opposition figures were staying, while heavily armed Somali soldiers established roadblocks and barricades made of large stones across key intersections, effectively placing opposition politicians under de facto house arrest.