Somalia, 4 October 2025 – The Government of Somalia has reopened 52 roads in Mogadishu that had previously been closed for security reasons.
Authorities said the move presents a shift from previous methods of securing the capital, with the focus now placed on direct confrontation against Al-Shabaab.
At a ceremony marking the reopening, today, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre stated that “security cannot be maintained with stones and walls,” emphasizing that true security can only be achieved by fighting and defeating Al-Shabaab through military force.
“Concrete walls cannot protect you. You must defend yourself,” Hamza said, adding that today’s reopening of the roads is proof that “security had already been achieved, and now the remnants of fear are being removed.”
The event was attended by Minister of Security, Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail Fartaag; Benadir Governor and Mayor of Mogadishu, Hassan Mohamed Hussein Muungaab; Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency, (NISA) Mahad Mohamed Salad; and Somali Police Commissioner, Asad Abdullahi Diyano.
Officials agreed that road closures are not a solution for ensuring security, stressing that stability can only be achieved through direct combat against Al-Shabaab.
The government described the move as the first phase of a broader plan aimed at restoring freedom of movement in the capital while ensuring security through ongoing military operations.
In the recent past the government has intensified military operations against Al Shabaab targeting strategic towns and villages under the control of illegal armed groups.