Former Somali president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has accused the federal government of restricting opposition leaders and blocking access roads to his residence ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations in Mogadishu.
In statements released on X, Sheikh Sharif, who leads the opposition Somali Future Council, said security forces had sealed roads leading to his home in northern Mogadishu and prevented lawmakers and political allies from reaching him.
The former president alleged that the administration of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was attempting to suppress peaceful demonstrations planned in the capital.
Protesters alleged forced evictions, home demolitions, and land seizures affecting poor and internally displaced communities.
“The right to housing and the freedom to demonstrate are constitutional rights, not privileges that can be curtailed by the state,” Sheikh Sharif said.
“We are not waging war, we are not carrying guns. We are only carrying our guards,” he added.
The protests come amid growing public anger over evictions in Mogadishu, where residents and activists accuse authorities of targeting vulnerable communities in disputed land clearances.
President Sheikh Sharif warned security agencies against using force to disperse demonstrators, saying heavy deployments risk escalating tensions in an already fragile political environment.
“You cannot answer citizens’ grievances with guns and roadblocks. The people are demanding justice, not confrontation. We will defend their constitutional right to speak peacefully,” he stated.
Authorities reportedly deployed armored vehicles and mounted roadblocks across key parts of Mogadishu.
These forced opposition organizers to abandon plans for multiple protest sites and instead consider gathering at government-designated venues, including Koonis Stadium.
Addressing planned demonstrations in Mogadishu, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud defended citizens’ constitutional right to protest and assured the public that the government would provide security for demonstrators.
“People are free to demonstrate, free to express their political opinions, and free to choose their leaders,” he said.
However, he warned against the use of armed militias or weapons during protests, insisting that only state security agencies were mandated to secure public demonstrations.
The president cautioned politicians against exploiting public emotions and historical grievances for political gain.
The standoff unfolds against the backdrop of rising political tensions in Somalia linked to delayed elections, governance disputes, and growing frustration over insecurity and economic hardship.
According to the United Nations, more than 142,000 people have been displaced by urban evictions in Somalia since early 2025, with Mogadishu among the hardest-hit areas.
Protests and clashes were reported in Daynile district, with unconfirmed reports indicating that at least one civilian may have been killed.
Security remained heightened across the capital late into the evening.
The confrontation between the government and opposition figures could deepen political divisions and complicate ongoing efforts to stabilize Somalia’s fragile democratic process.
Somalia has been working to transition from an indirect clan-based electoral system to a universal suffrage model that would allow citizens to directly elect their leaders for the first time in decades.
The federal government says the reforms are aimed at strengthening democracy, improving accountability and expanding political participation across the country.
However, the opposition, Jubaland and Puntland federal member states have opposed the implementation of universal local elections under the new system.
The push for electoral reforms comes amid ongoing security challenges and political debates over the pace and structure of the transition.
Mogadishu maintains that universal suffrage remains central to Somalia’s long-term stability, democratic development and state-building efforts.