Somalia: Mass protests erupt in Mogadishu over plans to sell Bakaro Market to wealthy investors
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Traders at Bakaro Market, Somalia’s largest market, staged a major protest in Mogadishu on Wednesday over plans to evict them and sell a substantial section of the site to wealthy businesspeople said by critics to have close ties to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The protest was triggered by claims from business figures […]
Black News 
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Traders at Bakaro Market, Somalia’s largest market, staged a major protest in Mogadishu on Wednesday over plans to evict them and sell a substantial section of the site to wealthy businesspeople said by critics to have close ties to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
The protest was triggered by claims from business figures that they had been granted ownership of parts of the market. Security forces subsequently moved into key areas marked for demolition, prompting widespread closures and bringing trading activity across much of the market to a halt. The move quickly escalated tensions, drawing traders into the streets.
Those demonstrating warned the evictions would severely affect livelihoods across the capital, where large numbers of people depend – directly and indirectly – on the market for income. The situation is particularly fragile amid rising unemployment and worsening living conditions. Mogadishu already hosts tens of thousands of internally displaced people, many forced from rural areas by drought, while others have been displaced by ongoing government campaigns of forced evictions in several neighbourhoods.
Over recent years, the administration of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has overseen the sale of markets and entire residential areas described by authorities as having been built on public land. Residents and traders have often been left with little choice but to salvage whatever belongings they could before their homes and businesses were demolished.
Critics say the policy reflects a broader pattern of land transfers that favour a small group of well-connected investors. They argue it risks deepening economic hardship and placing further strain on stability in the capital, as the burden of redevelopment falls most heavily on already vulnerable communities.
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