Mogadishu, Somalia – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud accused opposition leaders on Sunday of using a planned Mogadishu protest to disrupt the country, after a rally over forced evictions and alleged land grabs ended with at least one civilian dead.
In a national address, the president questioned why opposition politicians scheduled the protest on the same day South West State held direct elections and the federal government invited its critics to preliminary political talks.
“Why was the protest timed for today, when an election is taking place in the country?” Hassan Sheikh said.
“There is also another question that needs to be understood: why was the protest timed for a day when the Somali government had called for preliminary talks and dialogue? There is no goodwill visible in that.”
The remarks followed security forces moving to block opposition-backed demonstrations in parts of Mogadishu, where former leaders and government critics called supporters onto the streets over demolitions, evictions, and alleged illegal land grabs in the capital.
Former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire said the security operation killed a civilian in the Daynile district. Police officials confirmed the death, saying forces opened fire on what they described as an unauthorised gathering.
‘No goodwill’
The federal government stated before the protest that it respected the constitutional right to peaceful assembly, but instructed organisers to gather only at Engineer Yarisow Stadium.
Authorities said they designed the restriction to protect public safety, keep roads open, and prevent disruption in the capital.
Opposition organisers rejected the limitation and mobilised supporters across several areas of Mogadishu, triggering a confrontation with security forces already deployed along major roads and intersections.
Hassan Sheikh said the government did not oppose peaceful protests but argued that the timing and political framing of Sunday’s mobilisation raised questions about the opposition’s intentions.
“The protest was intended to disrupt Somalia,” he said. “The government understood that and allowed the protest to take place, but the Somali people also understood it from their side.”
He called on opposition politicians to show sincerity and approach dialogue with a clear political purpose, as tensions mount over Somalia’s electoral transition and constitutional changes.
The opposition accused the government of using security forces to silence dissent and intimidate political rivals. Government officials rejected the accusation, arguing they must preserve public order and prevent protests from provoking violence or paralysing the capital.
Vote defended
Much of the president’s address focused on the elections held Sunday in South West State, where voters cast ballots for local councils and the regional House of Representatives.
Hassan Sheikh described the vote as a major step in Somalia’s transition from indirect clan-based selection to universal suffrage.
“Today is one of the great days in which Somalia is making history,” he said. “For the second time, Somali people moved today toward one-person, one-vote elections and toward expressing their opinion on who they want to lead them.”
He said direct elections reflected the public will more clearly than elite bargaining or political deals between a small number of actors.
“One man standing alone somewhere does not represent the Somali interest,” he said. “The Federal Government has worked on this, and it wants the rest of the country to complete it in the same way.”
The South West vote took place in 13 districts across the Bay, Bakool, and Lower Shabelle regions.
Electoral officials said 394 candidates from 15 political organisations competed for seats in the South West State Assembly, while 1,297 candidates from 18 organisations ran for local council seats.
Officials described the exercise as one of Somalia’s most important direct voting processes in decades, noting residents in parts of South West State chose local and regional representatives through direct ballots for the first time in more than half a century.
Political rift
The vote unfolded against a widening political rift over Somalia’s electoral model.
The federal government says the country must move away from the indirect system that has dominated politics since authorities rebuilt state institutions following years of civil war.
Under that system, clan elders and selected delegates choose lawmakers, who then elect the president.
Successive governments promised to restore one-person, one-vote elections, but insecurity, political disputes, and weak institutions repeatedly delayed the process.
Opposition leaders say they do not oppose direct elections in principle, but accuse the government of pushing ahead without a broad consensus and using the process to consolidate power.
They also rejected parts of the constitutional reform process, arguing the government should not implement major changes without wider agreement among political actors and federal member states.
But for the president, the South West vote showed that Somalia was moving toward a more representative political system despite resistance from opponents.
Hassan Sheikh insisted the country had entered a new political phase and said the public, not political elites, should decide Somalia’s future leadership.
But with one protester dead, opposition leaders defiant, and the government pressing ahead with its electoral roadmap, Somalia’s direct-election push is unfolding in an increasingly volatile political climate.