By Yusuf Aybakar - Legal expert
For years, Mogadishu has been trapped in a cycle of political deception — an illusion crafted to distract citizens from the real crises they confront daily. One of the most persistent narratives is the claim that the capital “belongs” to a particular clan, as though a megacity of more than four million residents could ever be the private asset of any lineage. This rhetoric is not only baseless; it is an intentional diversion.
More than half a million homes stand across Mogadishu today. Every house was built by a family, financed through personal sacrifice and hard work. Ownership rests with individuals, not clans. A clan is not a corporate entity with real estate holdings. The idea that someone who has never built even a hut can loudly proclaim “Mogadishu is ours” reveals how deeply political manipulation has penetrated public discourse.
These slogans are not about land. They are about distraction. They are deployed to divert attention from the failures of governance and the collapse of basic public services. Those who shout the loudest about “ownership” are the same people who remain silent when the public demands accountability from those who collect taxes and administer the city.
If Mogadishu truly “belonged” to those making these claims, what do residents have to show for it? Do families enjoy affordable education and healthcare? No. Do they receive clean water and reliable, inexpensive electricity? No. Are the roads safe, paved, and functional? No. Are drainage and sewage systems properly maintained? No. Can people acquire official documents easily and without corruption? No. Does the justice system deliver fairness and confidence? Again, no.
Even more troubling is the condition of the rural areas from which many of these claimants originate. Much of that territory remains under Al-Shabaab control. Travel is unsafe, interrupted by clan militias manning roadblocks and extorting travelers — often “our own cousins,” as people themselves admit.
With all these challenges, including the fact that many people live in rented houses, what exactly is gained by repeating the slogan “Mogadishu is ours”? What service improves? What child benefits? What problem is solved?
The narrative of collective clan ownership endures because it serves a political purpose: it keeps the public occupied with empty identity debates instead of demanding functioning institutions, clean streets, safe neighborhoods, affordable utilities, and competent governance. It is a convenient distraction for those who fear accountability.
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Mogadishu is a national capital, a diverse metropolis, and the economic heart of Somalia. It belongs to its residents — every family that built a home, every business owner investing in the city, every taxpayer funding public institutions, every worker striving to survive. No clan owns Mogadishu. The only legitimate owners are its people.
Somalis must reject illusions that pull them away from the urgent, concrete issues of governance and public welfare. Before making claims of ownership over the capital, we should ask whether the city can provide clean water, safe travel, education, healthcare, security, justice, and dignity. Until then, the loud assertion that “Mogadishu is ours” adds nothing to the life of the ordinary citizen.
It is time to abandon empty slogans and focus on rebuilding a city worthy of its people.
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Yusuf Aybakar Shadoor, is a writer, legal expert, and professor of law at the Somali National University.
The opinion expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dawan Africa
