MOGADISHU, (HAN) — Somalia’s president appears to have scored a temporary political victory over opposition leaders after they abruptly called off planned protests in the capital this week.
The decision eased fears of unrest in Mogadishu but did little to defuse simmering political tensions. The demonstrations, scheduled for Thursday, were organized by the Rescue Forum — an alliance that includes former presidents, prime ministers, and lawmakers.
Members of the group accuse President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration of using excessive force and ignoring the plight of people displaced from public land.
In a video circulated on Tuesday, former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, a leading figure in the forum, urged citizens to hold peaceful rallies on October 9 to protest what he called “the cruelty of government officials” involved in demolishing residential areas.
The government has defended the demolitions as part of an effort to reclaim public land that has been unlawfully occupied since the collapse of Somalia’s central government in 1991. However, critics say the evictions were poorly managed, leaving thousands of people homeless on the outskirts of Mogadishu.
