(19 April 2024) MOGADISHU (Halqabsi News) — Residents in Mogadishu have strongly opposed the government’s order to evict the local fire station, raising concerns over the land’s future use. The controversy centres on suspicions that the land, once serving the Somali Police, may be allocated to private entities rather than its intended public function.
MP Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame has voiced significant concerns regarding the transparency of this process. “The public needs assurances that this land will not end up in private hands, akin to previous incidents where public lands were undersold to individuals with connections to the presidency,” he stated.
This move comes amid broader accusations that the government has previously mishandled public properties—selling them without appropriate legal procedures and often bypassing necessary valuations by the Ministry of Finance. Such practices, critics argue, contradict the intended public benefit and transparency expected in governmental dealings.
Locals are particularly wary given past evictions near the airport, purportedly for the public good, which instead allegedly favoured politicians, officials, and businessmen. The community’s trust has been eroded by what they see as repeated breaches of policy and fairness in handling public lands.
In response to escalating tensions, residents are calling for a clear and legal framework to address public land allocation and ensure it serves the wider community interest. They urge the government to establish a more transparent and trustworthy process for managing state assets, advocating for dialogue and consultation to resolve the ongoing disputes regarding the fire station’s relocation.
Halqabsi News
