The arrests followed security operations conducted by police in several districts of the capital as part of ongoing efforts to curb the illegal carrying of firearms within the city.

In a statement released by the Command of the Banadir Regional Police, authorities said the detained soldiers had violated directives issued by security agencies, which clearly prohibit any off-duty soldier from carrying weapons openly or independently within the capital.

The Somali Police said the operation is part of broader efforts to strengthen public security and prevent any actions that could endanger the safety of civilians living in Mogadishu.

“The 11 suspects who were arrested are currently in police custody and will be referred to the appropriate court to face justice and to ensure that the law is properly enforced,” the statement from the Banadir Regional Police Command said.

The operation comes as the Somali Police have previously issued strict security orders banning off-duty soldiers from carrying weapons in Mogadishu.

It also coincides with heightened security measures ahead of the local council elections, which are scheduled to take place in Mogadishu on Thursday, the 25th of this month.

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Witnesses report that civilians are frequently being stopped and harassed by armed men, some in military uniform and others in plain clothes. Incidents often involve armed individuals—carrying pistols, rifles, or knives—threatening residents and forcibly taking their mobile phones and other belongings.

In many cases, victims are struck on the head with a weapon before their property is taken. In the most recent incident last night, at least three people were attacked and robbed of their mobile phones by individuals identified as Somali security forces.

Residents say the Wadajir District administration has failed to address the growing insecurity and protect the community from these persistent attacks.

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The attacker, believed to be an Al-Shabaab militant, managed to infiltrate the training camp, located just meters from the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Mogadishu’s Hodan district.

The bomber detonated explosives around 11:20 a.m., targeting an area where junior military officers had gathered near a teashop inside the facility.

“This man, wearing a suicide vest, infiltrated the junior officers who were at the teashop. We don’t know how he got in,” said one military source at the scene.

The victims belonged to the 14th October Brigade, a unit established in memory of the nearly 600 people killed in the 2017 K-5 junction bombing, the deadliest terrorist attack in Africa’s recent history.

One of the survivors, a soldier identified only as Hassan, said the fatalities were caused by the suicide explosion, which struck while soldiers were lined up inside the training camp.

Somalia’s Minister of Defense, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, confirmed the attack and said an investigation is underway.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defense described the incident as a terrorist act carried out by Al-Shabaab, referring to the group as “Khawarij”, a term Somali authorities use to label the militants.

“The explosion was caused by a suicide bomber from the Al-Shabaab Khawarij who targeted the entrance of the Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy,” the statement read. “Security agencies have launched a full investigation, and the Somali public will be informed once findings are complete.”

The Jaalle Siyaad academy has previously been targeted by Al-Shabaab. In 2022, a similar suicide bombing at the same base killed 25 soldiers and injured more than 70.

Despite arrests of three military officers, including a colonel, no one was publicly prosecuted, and the investigation promised by the government has never been released.

Military sources also indicated that foreign trainers, including Western personnel supporting the Somali National Army, were present at the facility during the latest attack, though it remains unclear whether any were among the casualties.

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The meeting brought together press freedom advocates, representatives from International Media Support (IMS), officials from the Ministry of Information who have been targeting journalists including SJS, and members of the diplomatic community.

Participants voiced alarm over the increasing repression targeting Somali journalists, particularly those based in Mogadishu, and the broader erosion of press freedom across the country.

The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) expressed grave concern over the escalating attacks on journalists, SJS members, and independent media houses. These attacks have intensified following public threats issued by government officials from the police and the the Ministry of Information.

“Since the statement by the Minister of Information Daud Aweis Jama and the Mogadishu Police Commissioner, Moalim Mahdi on 6 March 2025, attacks on journalists have significantly increased. Press freedom is dying in Somalia. We are deeply concerned that the Somali government—specifically the Ministry of Information, police forces, and the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA)—is deliberately targeting journalists for their independent reporting,” said Mohamed Ibrahim Bulbul, SJS Secretary of Information and Human Rights, during the meeting.

Reporting on security issues including threats posed by Al-Shabaab terror group, government corruption and human rights abuses remain a red line for journalists in Somalia, particularly in Mogadishu.

The 6 March statement by Minister Daud Aweis and Mogadishu Police Commissioner Mahdi Omar Muumin (known as Moalim Mahdi who is also an ex-defector of Al-Shabaab), which openly threatened “severe punishment” media outlets against publishing any reporting related to security has triggered a new wave of suppression.

Participants also highlighted the growing intimidation of journalists working for state media in Mogadishu, many of whom have faced threats, suspensions, and dismissals for critical reporting or expressing independent views.

Serious concern was raised regarding threats against women journalists, including threats of sexual violence and other security risks, which have become increasingly common.

The diplomatic community was urged to stand in support of press freedom advocacy and to take meaningful steps to ensure the safety and protection of Somali journalists.

Between 1 January and 30 April 2025, a total of 46 journalists were arrested or detained across Somalia, according to SJS documentation. Journalist Mohamed Abukar Dabaashe was killed in Al-Shabaab bombing in Mogadishu on 18 March. Additionally, two journalists were kidnapped and have since disappeared in Lower Shabelle, Southwest State. Both government forces and Al-Shabaab have contributed to an increasingly hostile environment for the press, marked by physical attacks, arbitrary arrests, killings, and online censorship.

State security forces and police—many of whom are former Al-Shabaab defectors—were behind most of the raids, arrests, and intimidation incidents. NISA continued its practice of unlawful detentions and harassment, particularly in Mogadishu. Of the 46 arrests so far, 41 occurred in Mogadishu alone, underscoring how Mogadishu remains a dangerous place for journalists.

Reflecting today’s engagement, the SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin, thanked the diplomatic community for their efforts and reiterated a strong call for media freedom as a cornerstone of democracy, peacebuilding, and efforts to counter violent extremism.

“I take this opportunity to remind Somalia’s international partners that there can be no democratic Somalia unless we have a strong and independent media, and the international community must act to defend free media. Accountability is key to ending this cycle of violence subjected to the journalist community in Somalia including SJS members. Let us make no mistake: those who target journalists must be held accountable, no matter how powerful they are or whether they command armed groups,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin.

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This marks the second such assault on the settlement in less than a month.

The area, home to over 2,000 internally displaced people—many of whom have lived there for more than three decades—was surrounded by armed officers who ordered residents to vacate immediately.

“The armed men began spraying red paint on our makeshift houses. They were armed. We were shocked—my children, who were asleep, woke up and started crying,” said Fadumo, a disabled resident paralyzed in an accident.

Local elders and residents told Kaab TV that Commander Ganey claimed he was acting under direct orders from Banadir Regional Police Commissioner Mahdi Omar Moalim, commonly known as “Macallin Mahdi”.

Both Ganey and Mahdi are former members of the militant group Al-Shabaab who are now integrated into Somalia’s federal police.

Residents—including women, children, and elderly people—were threatened with bulldozers if they failed to leave within 24 hours.

“They gave us an ultimatum. If we don’t leave, they said they would flatten our homes,” said Sultan Mahamud Adan, speaking on behalf of the affected families.

The settlement—once the government’s pharmaceutical storage site under the former military regime—has served as a home for generations of displaced Somalis.

Many current residents were born and raised in the camp, forming a long-standing informal community.

Health Ministry Denies Involvement as Al-Shabaab Links Emerge

Federal Health Minister, Dr. Ali Haji Adam said his ministry had not authorized any eviction from the former pharmaceutical site and had no knowledge of any government plan to repurpose the compound.

“My ministry was not informed any plans to evict the people or anything related to the former factory of the Warshadda Daawada,” he said.

Insiders allege that a businessman with historical links to Al-Shabaab paid bribes to federal officials to acquire the land.

These reportedly include Banaadir Regional Court Chairman Salah Ali Mahmoud—commonly known as Salah Dabaan—whose brother serves as a judge in Al-Shabaab’s shadow courts in southern Somalia. Salah is also a close ally and clansman of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

The unnamed businessman is reportedly planning to convert the land into a private vehicle garage.

A police source confirmed to Kaab TV that substantial bribes were paid to senior police and judiciary officials to carry out the eviction.

Commander Yasin Ganey has refused to comment beyond stating that he is “acting on orders from above.”

The families we spoke to said that no alternative housing, relocation assistance, or compensation has been offered, making it difficult for them to relocate.

Women in the camp expressed deep concern for the welfare of their children and elderly relatives.

“We don’t know where to go. We have children and elderly who can’t walk. We have nothing,” said Halimo Mahmoud, who has lived in the area since childhood.

Pattern of Forced Evictions and High-Level Land Grabs

This incident is part of a broader trend. In August 2023, armed police and members of the national intelligence (NISA) similarly evicted dozens of impoverished families from land once belonging to the former Ministry of Veterinary which is adjacent to the current site.

That land was reportedly handed over to businessmen connected to one of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s wives, Qamar Ali Omar, who allegedly profited from the transaction.

In another incident on April 29, armed men under Macallin Mahdi’s orders raided another former factory along Mogadishu’s Industrial Road in Dayniile District, forcibly evicting over 500 displaced families.

That same day, four local journalists covering the eviction were shot at and later arrested by police, according to the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS). After hours in detention, the journalists were released—but only after their footage was deleted.

The April eviction was also allegedly orchestrated by wealthy businessmen who enlisted Macallin Mahdi to forcibly remove vulnerable families—including women and children—who had lived at the site for years.

Throughout his current term, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has faced ongoing accusations of corruption and complicity in land grabs targeting vulnerable communities.

Local media and civil society groups say thousands of families have been evicted from public land in Mogadishu since 2022.

These lands are often sold or leased to political allies, powerful businessmen, or individuals linked to the president’s inner circle, usually without due process or transparency.

Rights advocates describe these evictions as part of a systematic campaign of forced displacement driven by profit and elite enrichment—frequently carried out by military and police forces under government orders.

“Internally displaced people usually live in privately owned settlements without land tenure documents. This has resulted in a number of forced evictions, which remains a critical protection concern,” said NRC’s Abdukadir Mohamed in a June 2023 report.

According to the NRC, more than 2.6 million people in Somalia live in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Due to mass migration from rural areas, many IDPs have settled in cities, where they face ongoing difficulties in finding work and securing basic necessities.

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