Wednesday 21-Jun 2026 {HMC} Former Somali Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments Omar Ali Rooble has accused federal government troops of attacking his family home in Mogadishu, alleging politically motivated land grabbing linked to senior government figures.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Rooble said armed forces accompanied by demolition equipment raided his residence late Monday night, using military vehicles to forcibly seize property he says legally belongs to his family.
“Last night, we were attacked by nine vehicles loaded with armed soldiers and demolition trucks,” Rooble said. “They began demolishing my house from one side to the other. When I confronted them, I was told that my land was being taken, despite the fact that I hold legal documents proving ownership.”
Rooble, who served as a cabinet minister in a previous federal government, described the incident as the third time his property has been targeted. He said the operation was carried out without a court order and involved both military police and regular army units.
“This is the third property of mine that has been demolished,” he said. “They attacked my home without any judicial authorization.”
The former minister made direct allegations against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing him of orchestrating the land seizure for political and financial reasons. He claimed that a sitting lawmaker, Mohamed Ibrahim Ali, known as Mohamed Cajib, led the operation and told him the land had been purchased from the president.
“He openly told me that he bought the land from President Hassan Sheikh, paying $65,000 per plot, with a total of about $1 million,” Rooble alleged.
No evidence was provided to support the claims, and the federal government has not responded publicly to the allegations. Requests for comment from the presidency and security authorities were not immediately answered.
Land disputes are a persistent source of tension in Mogadishu, where decades of conflict, weak land registries and rapid urban development have fueled allegations of illegal evictions and politically connected land grabbing. Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that forced demolitions carried out without due process disproportionately affect civilians and risk inflaming political grievances.
Rooble called on Somalia’s bicameral parliament, the judiciary, human rights institutions, religious leaders and the public to intervene, urging them to halt what he described as a pattern of unlawful displacement and abuse of power.
“I appeal urgently to prevent land grabbing, forced displacement and attacks on civilian families in Mogadishu,” he said.
As of Tuesday, federal authorities had not confirmed whether any official operation took place at the property or addressed the former minister’s claims.
