By Zakarie Soohoyde - Reporter
MOGADISHU, June 6, 2026 — Former Somali security minister Abdullahi Mohamed Nur has accused the Federal Government of Somalia of targeting his Elite Hotel during a security operation in Mogadishu’s Abdiaziz district on Saturday.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Nur said heavily armed security forces entered the hotel at about 11:30 a.m. local time and took control of the premises.
According to Nur, the forces assembled hotel employees and a small number of guards inside the building and informed them that they were conducting a search. He alleged that the scale of the operation and the weaponry used suggested objectives beyond a routine security inspection.
Nur further alleged that the operation was intended to damage the hotel and seize property inside, claims that have not been independently verified.
He also accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of responsibility for the operation and said he would hold the president accountable for any damage caused to the property.
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Earlier on Saturday, the Banadir Regional Police Command announced that security forces were conducting operations in Abdiaziz district to search for illegal weapons allegedly hidden in several locations.
The police statement did not mention Elite Hotel or Nur by name.
Nur served as Somalia’s security minister and later as a senior adviser to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud before resigning from the advisory role on April 16, 2026, and jooned the opposition alliance.
The incident comes amid heightened political tensions in Mogadishu following a dispute between the Federal Government and opposition figures, which has led to recent security incidents and confrontations in parts of the capital.
The Federal Government has not publicly responded to Nur’s allegations.