MOGADISHU, Somalia — One person was killed and another injured on Sunday after Somali security forces opened fire to disperse an anti-government protest in the capital, Mogadishu, according to opposition leaders and witnesses.
The demonstration, organised by opposition figures under the slogan “Dareen Hiil Shacab” (“Solidarity with the People”), was planned at around 10 locations across the city to show support for residents displaced by recent government-ordered evictions.
Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Hassan Ali Kheire condemned what he described as a “brutal attack” on civilians participating in a peaceful protest.
“One Somali citizen was killed and another injured,” Kheire told reporters following the incident.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as gunfire erupted in the Deyniile district in northern Mogadishu, where dozens of demonstrators had gathered.
“I saw one person lying dead by the roadside and another injured,” witness Alinur Ahmed said.
“People fled when the troops opened fire,” another witness, Mohamed Siyad, said. “Some were struck by bullets, but I cannot confirm the number of deaths or injuries.”
Opposition leaders accused authorities of attempting to suppress the demonstrations before they began. According to organisers, officials restricted the protest to a stadium in Mogadishu, blocked major roads across the city, and surrounded the homes of several opposition figures with security forces.
The Somali government rejected the accusations and instead accused the opposition of attempting to create instability in the capital using armed supporters — a claim protest organisers strongly denied.
“This was not a protest organised in good faith; rather, it was intended to destabilise Somalia,” President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told reporters.
“The constitution guarantees citizens the right to express their opinions and demonstrate peacefully, but this does not mean allowing chaos or the use of weapons,” he added.
The unrest comes amid rising political tensions in Somalia, with President Mohamud’s term set to officially end in five days. Elections are scheduled for June, although the government continues to struggle to extend its authority beyond the capital while fighting the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, which has carried out an insurgency in the Horn of Africa nation for nearly two decades.
