Somalia: Farmaajo accuses government of curbing Mogadishu protest rights

MUQDISHU, Somalia — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo accused the federal government of attempting to restrict and suppress planned protests in Mogadishu on Sunday, warning that blocking peaceful demonstrations could violate citizens’ constitutional rights.

Farmaajo’s remarks came as opposition leaders and the government remained divided over where the protests in the Somali capital should be held. Authorities ordered demonstrators to gather at Koonis Stadium, while opposition groups insisted rallies should take place across several districts of Mogadishu, particularly in neighborhoods affected by demolitions and land disputes.

The planned demonstrations are driven by growing public anger over forced evictions, alleged corruption, political favoritism, and disputed land ownership in the capital. Opposition leaders have accused the government of displacing residents without due legal process, while federal authorities and Banadir regional officials say the demolitions are necessary to reclaim public land and improve urban planning.

“I join calls urging Somali authorities and the outgoing government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose term is nearing its end, to refrain from any attempt to suppress Somali citizens peacefully expressing the immense suffering they have endured under his leadership,” Farmaajo said in a statement.

Farmaajo described the protests as a peaceful expression of public grievances over governance and leadership, urging security agencies to protect citizens’ safety and dignity instead of enforcing orders he said contradict Somalia’s constitution and laws.

He also warned that attempts to block or tightly control the protests could trigger clashes, undermine public trust in security forces, and threaten the country’s stability.

The opposition rejected the government-designated protest venue and said demonstrations would instead take place in several districts across the Banadir region. Opposition leaders have assigned politicians to oversee protests in different parts of Mogadishu.

The opposition group also said it had organized its own security teams to protect politicians and civilians participating in the demonstrations, a move that has heightened fears among residents that the protests could escalate into confrontations between government forces and opposition-aligned groups.

GAROWE ONLINE