Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — Somali police on Monday displayed a cache of weapons inside Mogadishu’s Elite Hotel, saying officers recovered the arms from the opposition-linked property during an expanding disarmament campaign, a claim rejected by the hotel’s owner.
The weapons paraded before reporters included both light and heavy arms, military equipment, and drones, according to police officials.
Banaadir regional police commander Mahdi Omar Mumin, widely known as Moallim Mahdi, said officers seized the weapons from inside the building, which is owned by former internal security minister Abdullahi Mohamed Nur.
“These weapons were taken from the hotel, and they are among weapons that were being held illegally,” Mahdi said.
“There is nothing that would make us lie about security. These weapons were seized inside the hotel.”
Mahdi said authorities would not tolerate any former official stockpiling heavy weapons capable of threatening security in the capital.
“Elite Hotel has become one of the places used to destroy the country,” he added.
Police defend search
Mahdi said the search formed part of a wider campaign to recover illegal weapons after days of clashes in Mogadishu between government forces and armed groups linked to opposition figures.
“This operation is part of a series of operations by the security forces pursuing illegal weapons, some of which were carried by the militias spreading insecurity in this district, while others are new weapons prepared to destabilise the city’s security,” he said.
“These weapons were stored in different locations, including Elite Hotel.”
He said officers recovered heavy weapons and long-range arms during the operation.
Mahdi also rejected allegations that security forces damaged the property or mistreated people inside the building.
He said “nothing happened” at the hotel, adding that guards and staff were not harmed and that security forces were carrying out their duties.
The search follows several days of security sweeps across Mogadishu after clashes in Abdiaziz and Howlwadaag, where the government says armed groups brought illegal weapons into the capital.
Owner rejects claim
Nur rejected the police version of events, accusing security forces of planting the weapons.
In a statement posted on X, the former minister said the forces that entered the hotel three days earlier remained in control of the premises.
“I wish to inform the public that, for the third consecutive day, the forces that forcibly entered and seized control of Elite Hotel continue to occupy the premises,” Nur said.
He alleged that parts of the hotel had been damaged and that valuable assets had been removed from the property.
“Preliminary reports indicate that parts of the hotel have been damaged, valuable assets have been taken and removed from the hotel, and heavy military weapons have been brought into the property,” he said.
Nur said the displayed weapons could be used to discredit his business and justify action against it.
“I believe that these weapons may be used to stage misleading the public aimed at discrediting this commercial establishment and justifying the regime’s reckless action against the private business,” he said.
He said the hotel had only held light firearms used by its private security guards before the operation.
“I reiterate that, prior to these events, the only weapons inside the hotel were the light firearms used by the hotel’s security personnel for the protection of the premises,” Nur said.
The presidency did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Nur’s allegations.
UAE links alleged
Elite Hotel, one of Mogadishu’s most prominent beachfront hotels, has become the latest flashpoint in the confrontation between the federal government and opposition figures.
Nur, a former internal security minister, has recently aligned himself with opposition leaders critical of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
A government source told Somalia Today that intelligence authorities also suspect Nur of having contacts and dealings with the United Arab Emirates, a claim the source said forms part of wider security concerns around him.
The source did not provide evidence, and Somalia Today could not independently verify the allegation. Nur has not publicly responded to that specific claim.
Relations between Somalia and the UAE have been strained for months, with Mogadishu accusing Abu Dhabi of undermining Somali sovereignty through its dealings with Somaliland and other actors outside the federal government.
Somali officials have also privately argued that the UAE helped enable Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, a move Mogadishu condemned as an attack on Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The UAE has not publicly accepted any role in the decision, and Somalia Today could not independently verify the allegation.
Somalia announced in January that it was annulling major bilateral agreements with the UAE, including port, defence and security cooperation frameworks.
Despite the rift, the UAE has maintained influence through long-running commercial and security links in the Horn of Africa, including Dubai-owned DP World’s investment in Somaliland’s Berbera port.
Wider political crisis
The dispute comes as authorities continue a campaign to recover weapons following clashes involving opposition-linked armed groups in several parts of the capital.
Police have already displayed weapons they said were seized after operations in Abdiaziz and Howlwadaag, with security operations later expanding towards Gubadley and parts of Middle Shabelle.
The unrest stems from a wider political crisis over constitutional amendments and Somalia’s electoral process.
Opposition leaders accuse Mohamud of engineering an illegal mandate extension through constitutional changes approved by parliament in March, while the government says it is implementing reforms designed to move the country towards direct elections.
The latest searches coincide with political talks and mediation efforts, supported by Turkey and other international partners, aimed at easing tensions between the government and the opposition.
But the dispute over Elite Hotel highlights the mistrust now defining relations between the administration and its opponents, as Somalia’s political crisis increasingly overlaps with a security crackdown in the capital.
