Somali security forces opened fire on an opposition‑led protest in Mogadishu, killing one person and injuring another, according to opposition figures and multiple witnesses, in an incident that has sharpened political tensions in the capital.

The demonstration, held under the slogan Dareen Hiil Shacab, or “Solidarity with the People,” was organised to condemn a wave of government‑ordered evictions that rights groups say has forced thousands of vulnerable residents from informal settlements on the outskirts of the city. Organisers had planned simultaneous rallies at numerous locations across Mogadishu, portraying the protests as a test of the government’s tolerance for dissent.

Opposition leaders accused authorities of attempting to smother the mobilisation before it began. They said security forces confined the protest to a single stadium, sealed off key arteries in the capital and deployed heavily armed units around the homes of prominent critics of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Despite the restrictions, small crowds gathered in the Deyniile district, a densely populated area that has seen repeated security operations. Witnesses said troops moved in quickly and opened fire as protesters chanted slogans against the evictions and the president’s leadership.

Former prime minister Hassan Ali Kheire condemned what he described as a “brutal attack” on unarmed demonstrators, saying one person was shot dead and another wounded. Residents reported scenes of panic as gunfire rang out and people scrambled for cover.

“I saw one person lying dead by the roadside and another injured,” said witness Alinur Ahmed. Another resident, Mohamed Siyad, said people fled in all directions when the troops fired, adding that several appeared to have been hit, though he could not confirm the total number of casualties.

The government rejected accusations of excessive force, portraying the protest as a deliberate attempt by rivals to provoke unrest at a politically delicate moment. President Mohamud told reporters the gathering was “not a protest organised in good faith” and was instead aimed at destabilising the country. He insisted that while the constitution guarantees the right to peaceful assembly, it “does not mean allowing chaos or the use of weapons.”

The confrontation highlights the fragility of Somalia’s political transition as authorities struggle to project control beyond Mogadishu while battling the al‑Shabaab insurgency and managing deepening public anger over displacement and insecurity.