In a letter addressed to the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, United States, Turkey, Norway, and other international partners in Somalia, community leaders detailed a series of abuses allegedly committed by Somali police officials.

The letter accuses authorities of enabling forced displacement, extortion, and harassment of Degodia residents.

“Our concerns are not only about the abuse of power,” the letter reads, “but also about systemic marginalization and clan-based discrimination, particularly targeting the Dagoodiye community—civilians who legally reside on government-allocated land but lack political protection or representation.”

Police Officials Named in the Complaint

The letter specifically names two senior police officials:

• Mahdi Omar Muumin (also known as Moalim Mahdi), the Banadir Regional Police Commissioner, is a former Al-Shabaab operative turned senior police leader. He is accused of overseeing forced evictions and land seizures.
• Mrs. Rahmo Sandheer, Commander of the Xamar Jajab Police Station, is alleged to have ties to a former militia group responsible for violence in the 1990s. Community members accuse her of participating in harassment and threats against Degodia residents.

Community leaders claim multiple formal complaints have been filed with Somali authorities—including the offices of the President, Prime Minister, Auditor General, and the judiciary—yet “no effective response has been delivered to date.”

In their letter, the Degodia community urged the international community to take immediate and concrete actions:

1. Suspend all international support—financial, training, and logistical—to police units involved until independent investigations are completed.
2. Apply international accountability mechanisms such as sanctions and travel bans on individuals responsible for abuses.
3. Recognize the ongoing discrimination and advocate for the legal rights and protection of the Dagoodiye within Somalia’s state institutions.

“Your voices, influence, and support for justice and human rights are crucial at this time,” the community wrote. “We trust in your commitment to upholding human dignity and the rule of law in Somalia.”

Historical Marginalization of the Degodia

The Degodia community—an ethnic group found in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia—has historically faced exclusion and persecution.

In Kenya, one of the most horrific atrocities against the Degodia occurred during the Wagalla massacre in February 1984, when hundreds—possibly thousands—were executed by government forces on an airstrip in Wajir, North Eastern Kenya.

In Somalia, members of the Degodia have long been displaced, living in IDP camps or forced out of their ancestral land by dominant clans.

Multiple sources have accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his close allies—including family members—of orchestrating mass land seizures and evictions in Mogadishu.

Once seized, these public lands are often handed over to politically connected businessmen and elites, without transparency or legal process.

In one high-profile case, a businessman with ties to the president reportedly exhumed graves at a Mogadishu cemetery to claim the land, sparking public outrage. The president’s family has also been linked to land expropriation in the Hamarweyne district after a violent attack on a popular restaurant.

Mogadishu’s power structures remain heavily influenced by the armed and politically dominant Hawiye clan, especially sub-clans such as Habargidir. This dominance has led to the marginalization of smaller clans, particularly in urban areas.

Land disputes and evictions—often carried out under the guise of urban renewal or security operations—continue to affect thousands.

Vulnerable populations, especially minority clans and IDPs, are frequently displaced with little to no legal recourse.

In 2021 alone, more than 185,000 people were displaced across Somalia due to conflict and insecurity—many of them in Mogadishu. Once evicted, families are forced into overcrowded camps with poor access to water, health services, and protection.

Editor’s Note: The Somali federal government has not publicly responded to these latest accusations. Requests for comment from the Banadir Regional Police Command and the Office of the President remain unanswered at the time of publication.

The post Degodia Community Cries Out: Land Theft, Police Abuse, and Clan Discrimination in Mogadishu appeared first on Kaab TV.

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.

The post Over 2,000 Families in Mogadishu Face Forced Eviction by Armed Police Linked to Ex-Al-Shabaab Fighters appeared first on Kaab TV.