Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has defended the government’s contentious allocation of public land in Mogadishu to private developers, despite growing public outrage.

The allocations, authorized by a government policy aimed at clearing public land for redevelopment, have recently triggered widespread anger in the capital as longtime residents face eviction from their homes.

The policy allows developers to claim public land, leading to demolitions of houses, shops, and even graveyards across the city, which has sparked condemnation, including from three former Somali presidents: Abdiqasim Salad Hassan, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, and Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, who recently condemned what they describe as the unlawful misuse of public land.

In response to growing backlash, Prime Minister Barre has defended the government’s actions, insisting that the administration has the legal authority to manage public land and that selling it to investors is necessary to promote development.

In a statement issued this week, the prime minister also dismissed accusations of wrongdoing, shifting blame toward displaced communities without providing clear evidence, and emphasized that funds from these land sales are being used appropriately.

Barre issued a stern warning to opposition parties, accusing them of meddling in what he described as the exclusive domain of the executive. He dismissed their criticism as politically motivated distractions and cautioned them to stay out of internal government affairs.

Last month, the three former presidents appealed to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to stop the exploitation of public land and the use of force against vulnerable groups. 

In a joint statement, the leaders also urged President Mohamud to resettle displaced families, highlighting that the right to housing under the constitution belongs to all citizens.

The move, which marked a rare show of unity among Somalia’s top political figures, was in response to deadly clashes among competing land claimants over border disputes in Mogadishu, leaving several people dead and many others displaced.

Since President Mohamud’s re-election in May 2022, complaints about forced evictions have surged, with public cemeteries, markets, and private properties among the targets.

A recent investigation by the Isbahaysi team has uncovered 65 public sites in Mogadishu that have been seized, sold, or quietly handed over to private developers. 

The seized lands include relics of Somalia’s socialist-era economy, such as ironworks, wheat mills, and cigarette factories, as well as military compounds, cultural landmarks, public clinics, schools, cemeteries, and stretches of Mogadishu coastline, including parts of Lido Beach.

The actual number of seized assets may be even higher, as some transfers have occurred without attracting public attention.

Activists and locals have accused government officials and investors connected to the president’s circle of orchestrating the evictions and land grabs.