Mogadishu (WDN) – The political temperature in Mogadishu has escalated sharply after several figures within the current administration publicly called for the use of force and violence to suppress opposition demonstrations and political campaigns against the administration of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud following the expiration of his constitutional term on May 15, 2025.
Among those escalating tensions is Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, who frequently makes public incitements targeting opposition figures, including former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and other opposition leaders, concerns have grown over the possibility of further political confrontation and instability in the capital.
Following Ahmed Moallim Fiqi’s remarks and conduct, Banadir Regional Police Commander Col. Macalin Mahdi Omar also openly threatened opposition figures after a peaceful anti-government demonstration in the capital — a move critics argue reflects an increasingly aggressive crackdown on dissent by federal authorities.
At a tense press conference, the police commander accused opposition leaders of orchestrating unrest and warned that security forces would no longer tolerate demonstrations challenging the administration of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
“We will pursue, arrest, and prosecute anyone we believe is behind instability,” Macalin Mahdi declared, directly threatening former government officials and opposition politicians. “The days of mobilizing Somali youth and mothers into political confrontation are over. Anyone organizing such actions will face legal consequences.”
The remarks came after hundreds of opposition supporters gathered in parts of Mogadishu, particularly around the Zoobe area, in a rare public protest against the Federal Government. Demonstrators chanted slogans criticizing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration and accused the government of deepening political repression, failing to address public grievances, and clinging to power beyond its constitutional mandate.
Witnesses said federal police forces attempted to violently disperse the peaceful demonstration, triggering a tense standoff after security personnel attached to former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed intervened to protect protesters. The confrontation nearly escalated into armed clashes before police units eventually withdrew from the scene.
The incident has intensified fears that Somalia’s political crisis is entering a more dangerous phase, with critics accusing the Federal Government of using security institutions to silence peaceful opposition activity instead of protecting constitutional freedoms.
Political observers warn that threatening peaceful demonstrators and opposition figures risks undermining already fragile political stability in Somalia, where disputes over elections, legitimacy, and federalism continue to deepen divisions between Villa Somalia and opposition groups.
Videos circulating on social media showed large crowds carrying banners and chanting anti-government slogans, while heavily armed police units attempted to block parts of the gathering. Protesters insisted their demonstration was peaceful and accused the government of criminalizing dissent.
Opposition figures have condemned the police commander’s remarks as “authoritarian intimidation,” arguing that the right to peaceful assembly and political expression is protected under Somalia’s provisional constitution.
The latest confrontation comes amid mounting tensions in Mogadishu over the country’s unresolved electoral crisis and growing accusations that the Federal Government is increasingly relying on coercion and intimidation to suppress political rivals rather than engaging in meaningful dialogue.
Analysts say the aggressive rhetoric from senior security officials signals a troubling shift toward the securitization of politics in Somalia — where peaceful demonstrations are increasingly treated as security threats instead of democratic expression.
As political mistrust deepens, many fear that continued attempts to silence opposition voices through threats and force could push Somalia further into instability at a time when the country is already grappling with security challenges, institutional fragmentation, and rising public frustration.
WardheerNews