Mogadishu land disputes and forced evictions

Violent unrest has emerged in Mogadishu’s Yaqshid district as residents clash with government forces over home demolitions. Protesters, who have blocked roads with burning tyres, claim the demolitions target structures on disputed or illegally occupied land. These clashes have resulted in several deaths and injuries.

As the situation progressed, former presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed condemned the forced displacement in the Tookiyo neighborhood. Farmaajo described the government security operations as an “abuse of state power and a national tragedy,” calling for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to cease using national forces against civilians. The unrest reflects a broader crisis regarding property ownership and allegations that state authorities are facilitating land seizures for redevelopment.

On August 23, 2026, further clashes erupted in the Tookiyo area during a government-led demolition operation. Security forces accompanied the destruction of homes that authorities claimed were built on public land. The confrontations resulted in injuries and at least one fatality. These events underscore long-standing land tenure tensions in the Banadir region, which the United Nations and UNHCR have identified as a center for disputes driven by rapid urban reconstruction, high population pressure, and the lack of a fully operational land registry for internally displaced persons.