Forced Evictions and Land Grabs Plague Mogadishu, Amid Alarming Impunity

 A series of police-led evictions targeting squatters on the public land in the Somali capital has sparked widespread concern about corruption and abuse of power among government and Local officials…

This handling of the matter has brought to light the opaque nature of the allocation and management of public land in Somalia, uncovering a systematic pattern wherein influential individuals and government figures exploit their positions for personal enrichment without legal justification.

The government has marked public lands in the quiet Odweyne neighborhood in the Deynile district, west of Mogadishu, as one of the areas slated for auction. Residents of this community are now preparing themselves for the looming threat of forced evictions.

The responsibility for the Oodweyne land’s appropriation has been assigned to a Banadir Administration Official, who is both a Federal Member of Parliament and a prominent entrepreneur. Each plot within this scheme costs $4,500 & now price each plot around 80,000 US$.

Villa Somalia & The Local government also intends to sell off additional public land located in Milk Factory, Ex Guulwadayaasha, Cigarette Factory and other public properties owned by various Ministries. These parcels of land are set to be allocated to individuals who are both close allies of the president and relatives of influential businessmen.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s first term has been marred by allegations of corruption and instances of land grabbing. His government’s failure to safeguard public lands, such as the large tract near the Airport and the land owned by the Custodial Corps at KM7, serve as glaring examples of his inability to fulfill this responsibility.