Clashes in Mogadishu’s Tookiyo leave Ten hurt over demolitions

Nearly ten people were injured on Sunday in Mogadishu’s Yaaqshiid district after clashes broke out between government forces and residents during an operation to demolish homes in the Tookiyo neighbourhood, according to local reports.

The confrontation erupted after security forces moved to clear the area, which the federal government claims as state-owned land. Residents, refusing to leave, staged street protests against the operation.

The clash is the latest flashpoint in a wider, months-long dispute over land ownership and forced evictions across Mogadishu, where the government’s push to reclaim what it calls public land has repeatedly collided with residents who say they hold legitimate claims to their properties. The recurring unrest underscores how fragile Mogadishu’s urban land governance remains, and how quickly such disputes can turn violent.

Witnesses said the operation began without adequate warning, prompting angry residents to confront the demolition team and the troops accompanying it. Images circulating online showed young men with visible injuries being treated at hospitals in the capital.