MOGADISHU, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The Somali government on Sunday called for peaceful protests over forced evictions and land-related issues affecting residents.
The protests, organized by a council of opposition leaders including former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, aim to support internally displaced persons and residents recently evicted from their homes in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
"Peaceful demonstration is a legitimate democratic right, and the government has no objection to citizens expressing their views in a lawful, peaceful, and orderly manner," the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism said in a statement.
To help ensure that the protests remain peaceful while maintaining safety and normal operations in the capital, the government designated Engineer Yarisow Stadium as the official venue for the demonstrations.
In contrast, the organizers called for 22 different protest sites throughout Mogadishu, a tactic the government said was clearly designed to paralyze the city and divide it into clan-based zones rather than facilitate a peaceful civic gathering.
"This is not responsible political expression; it is an act of violent political mobilization that risks undermining the peace, security, and daily lives of the nearly four million residents of Mogadishu," the ministry said.
The protests come amid escalating political tensions just days before President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's four-year term is set to expire on May 15.
Lawmakers, however, approved constitutional amendments in March to extend terms to five years, but the opposition and some federal member states have rejected the extension.
The government expressed serious concern that the five-day protest plan, given its scale and organization, poses a grave risk to public order, civilian safety and essential services in the capital.
According to the ministry, security reports indicate that armed elements linked to or aligned with opposition actors have positioned themselves in different parts of the city, including densely populated civilian areas, creating a serious risk to innocent communities and using civilian spaces as clan-based zones to shield political mobilization.
"The concern of the government is not peaceful expression. The concern is any attempt to convert lawful protest into intimidation, armed confrontation, disruption of public life, or pressure outside constitutional and democratic channels," it said.
The government said that no political group has the right to paralyze the city for days, endanger civilians, block key roads, or escalate political disagreements into street confrontations.
The ministry said the deployment of security forces is preventive and protective in nature.
The government instructed security agencies to act with restraint, professionalism, and full respect for human rights, while clearly distinguishing peaceful citizens from those who might incite violence, carry weapons, damage property, or provoke confrontation.
"The government calls on all political actors to de-escalate their rhetoric, refrain from mobilizing armed supporters, respect public order requirements, and pursue political grievances through peaceful, constitutional, and institutional channels," it said. ■