Mogadishu (WDN) – Somalia’s Federal Minister of Public Works and Housing, Ayuub Ismaaciil, came before state television on Friday morning declaring that the government was preparing a major resettlement plan for families displaced by the ongoing demolitions across Mogadishu. But on the ground, bulldozers were still tearing through poor neighborhoods as the minister spoke.
The government claims it intends to resettle nearly 10,000 families allegedly uprooted after homes built on state-owned land were demolished. Yet for many residents across the capital, the announcement was not viewed as a humanitarian breakthrough, but as another attempt to cover up what has become one of the largest displacement campaigns witnessed in Mogadishu in recent years.
The statement from the minster, which his ministry is housed in a rental property, is not resettlement. Its the destruction of poor neighborhoods followed by empty promises.
Entire neighborhoods have been thrown into chaos over recent days as thousands of families flee collapsing homes with mattresses, metal sheets, water containers, and children packed onto trucks and donkey carts. Roads across parts of Mogadishu remain crowded with displaced civilians searching desperately for shelter during the rainy season.
The minister’s televised statement immediately triggered anger and mockery among many residents, particularly because demolition operations were continuing in real time while the government was simultaneously speaking about rehabilitation and housing support.
“The announcement lacks credibility for one simple reason: the same administration now promising resettlement has spent the last four years carrying out continuous evictions of poor communities from public land across Mogadishu.” A displaced resident told WardheerNews while watching demolition crews continue operations in the capital.
According to widespread public accusations, after clearing large areas of government-owned land and allegedly transferring it to politically connected businessmen, authorities have now shifted toward demolishing homes civilians legally possessed — with some residents also accusing officials of demanding money to halt demolitions.
The scale of the crisis has become impossible to ignore. Residents say more than 350,000 families have already been affected directly or indirectly by forced evictions, demolitions, or displacement campaigns during the current administration’s tenure. Against that backdrop, the government’s promise to resettle only 10,000 families has been met with deep skepticism.
Even more striking is the timing. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is facing the final days of his mandate, yet the administration continues large-scale demolitions while suddenly claiming it will solve a housing crisis it failed to address over four years in power.
For many residents, the contradiction is glaring. “If they truly cared about the poor, why were the bulldozers sent first?” one elderly resident asked. “Why did they wait until the last days of power to suddenly discover compassion?”
Questions are also mounting over whether the government even possesses the financial capacity, land, or infrastructure required for such a massive resettlement operation. No detailed relocation plan, budget, timeline, or designated housing sites have been publicly presented.
The controversy has been further fueled by allegations that even homes previously issued legal ownership documentation by the Ministry of Public Works itself are now being demolished — raising serious concerns about property rights, legal certainty, and abuse of state power.
Across Mogadishu, many now view the minister’s remarks not as a serious policy announcement, but as a political damage-control campaign aimed at calming public outrage while demolitions continue uninterrupted.
As bulldozers advance deeper into residential areas and thousands remain displaced in the rain, the gap between government promises and reality on the ground appears wider than ever.
WardheerNews
