Mogadishu (Somalia Today) – Somalia’s presidency has replaced commanders and troops at key checkpoints leading into Mogadishu, security sources said, in a move officials describe as an effort to tighten security in the capital as political tensions deepen ahead of a disputed electoral transition.
The changes, introduced gradually over recent weeks, affect officers deployed at entry points into the capital and at inspection sites used to screen vehicles entering and exiting Mogadishu, the sources told Somalia Today.
Villa Somalia has transferred several former checkpoint commanders and their deputies to regions outside the capital after concluding they could not be fully trusted during a sensitive political period, people familiar with the reshuffle said.
The presidency has also reinforced officers and units it considers loyal, deploying them inside Mogadishu and at control points on the city’s main approaches, the sources said.
The most significant changes have taken place on the northern side of Mogadishu, particularly along routes running from the outskirts of Karan district towards Suuqa Xoolaha.
A large force stationed in that corridor for a long period has been replaced after officials assessed it as having close ties to opposition figures, especially former president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, security sources said.
Villa Somalia has appointed new commanders of its own choosing, seeking tighter control over troop movements and the capital’s security architecture as Somalia enters a contested election period.
Political pressure
The reshuffle comes as Somalia faces a widening dispute over the timing, format and management of forthcoming elections.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called a national consultative forum for May 10, bringing together political leaders, former presidents, elders and civil society representatives to discuss elections, constitutional issues, national security and the country’s political direction.
The presidency has presented the talks as part of an effort to build consensus and lower political tensions.
But opposition leaders, grouped under the Somali Future Council, have said they will attend the dialogue only if the government halts what they call unilateral election steps and accepts an independent mediation mechanism.
The opposition says it supports talks in principle, but has accused the presidency of using dialogue as political cover while pressing ahead with contested electoral and constitutional changes.
The National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has meanwhile announced a phased timetable for state-level elections, beginning with South West State on May 10 and extending to Hirshabelle, Galmudug, Banadir, Bari and Gedo through August.
But the commission has not announced a date for the federal presidential vote, raising further opposition concerns as Hassan Sheikh’s four-year mandate nears its May 15 expiry.
The dispute has grown sharper since parliament approved constitutional amendments in March, ending a review process that had lasted more than 14 years but leaving public ratification by referendum unresolved.
Some federal member states and opposition figures have rejected the process, saying the changes lack consensus and risk centralising power in Mogadishu.
Protest call
The security changes also come before a protest called by opposition leaders for May 10, the same day as the president’s planned dialogue forum.
Sheikh Sharif, speaking after an opposition meeting in Mogadishu, urged residents of the capital, especially families displaced by demolition and redevelopment operations, to join the demonstration.
“We want people to demonstrate to stop land grabbing and displacement in Mogadishu. We have decided on the 10th of this month,” he said.
“This protest does not need permission from anyone. The oppressed people must come out.”
He warned security forces against using force against demonstrators, saying they would face accountability for any abuses.
“The system’s time has expired. Its oppression has become excessive,” he said. “Anyone who tries to harm those people should know they will be held accountable and will not be left alone.”
Opposition figures have accused authorities of evicting families without proper notice, compensation or legal process.
The government has defended redevelopment initiatives as part of efforts to recover public land and improve infrastructure, but critics say the process has lacked transparency and consultation.
Security legacy
Control of security forces in Mogadishu has long carried political weight during election periods.
Ahead of the 2022 vote, the capital saw armed tensions in 2021 after an attempted mandate extension under then-president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo triggered a constitutional crisis and clashes between rival security units.
Former opposition leaders, including Hassan Sheikh and Sheikh Sharif, accused Farmaajo’s government of using state forces to suppress political rivals. His administration said at the time that its actions were necessary to protect security.
Those memories remain powerful in Mogadishu, where military loyalties can quickly feed into political confrontation.
The latest checkpoint reshuffle, therefore, carries two messages.
Officials present it as a security measure in a city still vulnerable to Al-Shabaab attacks. Political figures see it as a signal from a presidency determined to prevent rival power centres from emerging inside the capital.
Somalia has been trying to move away from clan-based indirect elections towards universal suffrage, a goal repeatedly delayed by insecurity, political disputes and weak institutions.
Supporters of the current electoral reforms say the country cannot remain trapped in indirect voting systems dominated by political elites. Opponents say the process must rest on consensus, warning that rushed elections could deepen instability rather than resolve it.
