MOGADISHU, Oct 4, 2025 — Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Saturday launched a plan to reopen 52 key roads in the capital Mogadishu, which had been closed for up to 15 years due to persistent security threats.
The move marks a significant shift in the government’s approach to urban security and reflects what officials describe as improved stability in the capital.
“For the past 15 years, roads were closed due to severe security concerns. But the real solution is not in closing roads — it’s in defeating terrorism,” Prime Minister Barre said during the launch ceremony in Mogadishu.
The prime minister noted that the road closures, once deemed necessary to protect civilians from extremist attacks, are no longer justifiable due to the visible improvement in the city’s security.
“Armed groups are not monsters standing on street corners. They must be confronted and defeated through effective security measures, not by locking down the city,” he said.
Barre highlighted efforts by the “DanQaran” government to restore stability in Mogadishu, including the introduction of new legislation to control the flow of heavy weapons and counter threats to public safety.
He also thanked the country’s security agencies, the Benadir regional administration, and the people of Mogadishu for their contributions to restoring peace in the capital, emphasizing that security is a shared responsibility.
“The safety of our capital is not the government’s job alone — it belongs to all of us,” the prime minister said.
The reopening process is expected to be gradual, with authorities working to ensure that areas once deemed high-risk are now safe for public use.
