# Riots in Hargeisa over house removals

> The Somali Digest reported Hargeisa riots on 10 October 2023 after eviction from government housing; casualties and later events unverified.

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 30 September 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Business and Costs
- Tags: construction-risk, site-execution
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/riots-hargeisa-house-removals

## Key points

- The Somali Digest reported riots in Hargeisa on 10 October 2023 following a decision to evict people from government housing.
- The report states young boys pelted stones at police, who responded with live fire.
- Casualty figures and what happened after 10 October 2023 are not established by the report.

On 10 October 2023, [The Somali Digest](https://thesomalidigest.com/riots-erupt-in-hargeisa-as-somaliland-removes-people-from-houses/) reported riots in Hargeisa after Somaliland decided to evict people from government housing. The report, written by Dalmar, states that young boys pelted stones at security forces, who responded with live fire.

The report says Somaliland's police force owns the land in question, and that the occupants' parents' association initially granted them the right to occupy the housing. The Somali Digest also reported that the Somaliland government has decided to auction the land.

Faysal Ali Waraabe, the Justice and Development Party (UCID) Chairman and a presidential candidate, condemned the government's decision to auction public land, saying, "The government should not occupy itself with auctioning public land". He urged the government and people to work together to defend the country, prepare for elections, and deal with inflation.

The report does not provide casualty figures or injuries from the protests. It also does not name any officials or document the decision for the eviction or auction. The report does not establish what has happened since 10 October 2023.

The report also mentions an attack on Erigavo, prior to the Hargeisa riots, for which Somaliland's security forces claimed they were combatting the influx of illegal substances such as alcohol. However, many believe Somaliland intended to expand the conflict with SSC-Khaatumo by engaging the city's residents. These claims are not verified in the report.

## Questions

### Who ordered the removals?

The report does not name any officials or document the decision for the eviction or auction.

### How many households are affected?

The report does not state the number of households affected.

## Sources

- [Riots erupt in Hargeisa as Somaliland removes people from houses](https://thesomalidigest.com/riots-erupt-in-hargeisa-as-somaliland-removes-people-from-houses/) — The Somali Digest, 2023-10-10