The Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education of the Federal Government of Somalia, Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir, has ordered the immediate eviction of civilians from the land owned by the University of Somalia.
The order was issued while the minister was speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for the university’s modernization project, specifically the Gaheyr campus, where he stressed that the land is a national asset intended for the development of the country and public service.
The minister said that the university’s land is state-owned, and it is necessary for the residents to leave immediately in order to begin rebuilding and developing educational infrastructure.
For his part, the university’s chancellor, Mohamed Mahmoud, welcomed the start of the reconstruction project, describing it as an important step towards restoring the university’s reputation and work.
However, on January 29 of this year, the Somali National University (JUS) issued a legal warning regarding the ongoing demolition of its land in Hodan District, Banadir Region.
The university administration, including the current vice-chancellor, said in a press release that the demolition of the university’s land, including student services and the president’s house, was illegal.
The university said at the time that it was taking all necessary legal steps to protect its property rights and prevent the land from being used illegally and legalized under names that have no connection to the university’s land.
