Hiiraan Online

Mogadishu (HOL) — Mogadishu Mayor Hassan Mohamed Hussein Muungaab on Thursday banned opposition-organized protests in the capital unless approved by his administration, a day after deadly clashes between opposition forces and police outside a district station deepened political tensions.

Muungaab, who also governs the Banadir region, said security forces had been instructed to take “strict legal measures” against anyone staging unauthorized demonstrations. He accused opposition leaders of attempting to incite unrest.

“These opposition figures cannot announce protests. They do not govern any territory. Citizens should not join them,” he said. “I have directed security forces to take lawful action against anyone who attempts to demonstrate.”

His remarks followed Wednesday’s confrontation outside the Warta Nabadda District Police Station, where guards for former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and other opposition leaders exchanged fire with federal forces after arriving at Sinai Market. Witnesses said the clashes left casualties among soldiers, opposition fighters and civilians, though officials did not release figures.

The federal government condemned what it described as an armed attempt to seize the police station, blaming opposition politicians for undermining public order and threatening stability. “Responsibility for the events rests with those who brazenly violated the state’s authority, security, order, and laws,” the Ministry of Information said in a statement.

The violence came a day after the Somalia Salvation Forum, a coalition of opposition figures including Sharif, ex–Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, and lawmaker Abdirahman Abdishakur, announced lawsuits against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration. The group accused the government of corruption, constitutional violations, and illegal land sales that displaced poor families.

The Forum has also criticized the government for neglecting the fight against al-Shabab while focusing on consolidating power, warning Somalia faces a “sensitive political and constitutional crisis.” It has urged Somalis at home and abroad to stage peaceful protests against what it calls abuse of authority.

Muungaab dismissed those calls, insisting Mogadishu was secure and accusing opposition leaders of seeking to destabilize the capital under the cover of politics. “The opposition cannot declare protests in Tarabuunka, in Siinaay, or anywhere else,” he said.

The mayor’s ban sets up a confrontation ahead of planned demonstrations this weekend, as opposition leaders push for mobilization while federal authorities move to prevent further unrest in the capital.