Statement on the Demolition and Sale of Banadir Municipality Stadium
Statement on the Demolition and Sale of Banadir Municipality Stadium
The Banadir Municipality Stadium, a historic and well-known public facility in Mogadishu, has recently been demolished and sold to a private individual. The demolition was carried out by armed men accompanied by heavy machinery (Caterpillar bulldozers), who surrounded the area and forcibly evicted people who were inside the stadium.
Banadir Municipality Stadium is an old and significant public place that has long served as a center for professional sports training, community shelter, and residence for foreign players and coaches. It has been officially used by Banadir Clubs, which compete in Somalia’s national championships and are among the leading sports teams in the country. This success was made possible by access to the stadium, including training facilities and accommodation.
The Banadir region has an estimated population of over 4 million people, approximately 75% of whom are youth and children. Sports play a critical role in recreation, skill development, social integration, and peacebuilding for young people. The stadium has historically been a symbol of unity, peace, and community integration.
The stadium is located in one of the former “green line” areas of the civil war, where a three-party clan truce once existed. After 1991, the site was tragically used as a place where people captured during clan conflicts were executed and buried, making it a location of deep historical and emotional significance.
In recent decades, the stadium received funding and support from FIFA and CECAFA (the East and Central African football body). Both the Banadir Regional Municipality and the Ministry of Sports had previously taken steps to protect and preserve the stadium. However, despite the recent demolition, the Somali Football Federation has not taken any action, leaving villagers, club members, and sports supporters to cry out alone for help and justice.
This situation raises serious legal and ethical questions about land ownership and eviction in Somalia. Can the government sell public land—including essential infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and stadiums—to private individuals? While Somali law may allow the transfer of public land to private ownership in limited cases (such as liquidation or restitution to former owners), such actions must consider public interest, historical value, and human rights.
Land disputes and forced evictions remain one of the most sensitive political and social issues in Somalia. Since the election of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on 15 May 2022, tens of thousands of people in the Banadir region (Mogadishu) have been forcibly evicted from public land. These actions have occurred under a government whose mandate is nearing its final months (ending May 2026), increasing public concern and insecurity.
The demolition of Banadir Municipality Stadium represents not only the loss of a sports facility, but also the destruction of a vital public space essential for youth development, community peace, and national identity.
Banadir Municipality Stadium is an old and significant public place that has long served as a center for professional sports training, community shelter, and residence for foreign players and coaches. It has been officially used by Banadir Clubs, which compete in Somalia’s national championships and are among the leading sports teams in the country. This success was made possible by access to the stadium, including training facilities and accommodation.
The Banadir region has an estimated population of over 4 million people, approximately 75% of whom are youth and children. Sports play a critical role in recreation, skill development, social integration, and peacebuilding for young people. The stadium has historically been a symbol of unity, peace, and community integration.
The stadium is located in one of the former “green line” areas of the civil war, where a three-party clan truce once existed. After 1991, the site was tragically used as a place where people captured during clan conflicts were executed and buried, making it a location of deep historical and emotional significance.
In recent decades, the stadium received funding and support from FIFA and CECAFA (the East and Central African football body). Both the Banadir Regional Municipality and the Ministry of Sports had previously taken steps to protect and preserve the stadium. However, despite the recent demolition, the Somali Football Federation has not taken any action, leaving villagers, club members, and sports supporters to cry out alone for help and justice.
This situation raises serious legal and ethical questions about land ownership and eviction in Somalia. Can the government sell public land—including essential infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and stadiums—to private individuals? While Somali law may allow the transfer of public land to private ownership in limited cases (such as liquidation or restitution to former owners), such actions must consider public interest, historical value, and human rights.
Land disputes and forced evictions remain one of the most sensitive political and social issues in Somalia. Since the election of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on 15 May 2022, tens of thousands of people in the Banadir region (Mogadishu) have been forcibly evicted from public land. These actions have occurred under a government whose mandate is nearing its final months (ending May 2026), increasing public concern and insecurity.
The demolition of Banadir Municipality Stadium represents not only the loss of a sports facility, but also the destruction of a vital public space essential for youth development, community peace, and national identity.