Mogadishu Demolished a Neighbourhood at Midnight
Somali forces began tearing down homes in Mogadishu's Tookiyo neighbourhood after midnight. Nearly ten people were hurt and the legal basis is disputed. The post Mogadishu Demolished a Neighbourhood at Midnight appeared first on The Rio Times .
At midnight on Sunday 23 August 2026, federal security forces in Mogadishu began demolishing homes in the Tookiyo neighbourhood of the Yaqshiid district. Nearly ten people were injured in clashes between residents and security forces, but no official casualty figure has been released. Neither the federal government nor the Banadir Regional Administration, which ordered a temporary halt to demolitions and evictions in May 2026, released a detailed statement by Sunday evening.
The government claims the land is state-owned, while residents have lived there for decades and demand the publication of the legal basis for the demolitions. Former presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed both condemned the operation. Turkish F-16s flew low over Mogadishu during the operation, though neither Ankara nor Mogadishu linked the flights to the eviction.
The lack of a published legal process surrounding the demolitions raises concerns about authority in a city where land values are rising and most of the population lives in informal settlements.
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