Mogadishu is no stranger to hardship. The city has seen warlords, militias, and extremists, yet its people keep choosing life. They gather at Lido Beach, cheer inside Stadium Mogadishu, and open shops every morning. This is the real Mogadishu. Not the headlines of blood and smoke — but families refusing to give up.
Still, some politicians would rather gamble with chaos. The recent attack on a police station by members of Goloha Samatabixinta Somaliyeed left a female student and a young soldier dead. That was not politics. That was a crime.
Leaders Who Live Abroad, but Create Fires at Home
It is impossible to ignore the hypocrisy. Abdirahman Abdishakuur, a key figure in this group, has his children safe in London. They go to school in peace. Yet his choices help deny Mogadishu’s children the same right to education. What kind of leadership is that?
Former Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, now a Swedish citizen, has been accused of fueling tension in Mogadishu rather than calming it. He enjoys the protection of Europe while encouraging unrest in Somalia. This double life — security abroad, instability at home — should make citizens pause.
Also, Hassan Ali Khayre, another former prime minister and a Norwegian citizen, is not free of blame either. Though he has tried at times to present himself as restrained, he too has played political games that deepen divisions and risk creating crises in Mogadishu. His actions show that foreign citizenship does not automatically bring responsibility — it can also be used as a shield while fueling instability from a safe distance.
The Bigger Picture
We have to ask: who benefits when Mogadishu burns? Too often, violence here mirrors the fingerprints of foreign agendas. Outside powers gain leverage when Somalia looks weak. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens pay the price: markets close, schools shut down, families bury their loved ones.
The double standard is glaring. Politicians’ children grow up in London, Stockholm, or Oslo. Mogadishu’s children grow up surrounded by checkpoints and fear. That is not patriotism. That is privilege.
A Different Response from the City
This time, Mogadishu is not silent. Clan elders and security leaders have warned: anyone who tries to destabilize the city will be held accountable. They have pledged full support to the federal government to tighten security. In Somali politics, words are cheap — but when elders and security officials unite, people listen.
That unity is worth more than another speech. It is a signal that Somali society is tired of being used as cannon fodder for elite rivalries.
Accountability must follow. Abdishakuur and Roble should answer for their actions in court, not in rallies. Independent investigations are needed, transparent and credible. At the same time, we must protect the principle that not every opposition leader is an enemy. Criticism is part of democracy; violence is not.
Mogadishu’s future will not be written by men with second passports and safe houses in Europe. It will be written by the families who walk the beach, the youth who fill the stadium, and the traders who open their stalls every morning. These are the true defenders of the city.
