Ceel Cade, Somalia, Aug 10, 2025 – Commercial drivers using the main highway connecting Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, with the Middle Shabelle region have voiced growing frustration over new illegal checkpoints set up along the route.
In the Ceel Cade area of Middle Shabelle, several large cargo trucks were stranded for days as armed men believed to be affiliated with the HirShabelle regional forces demanded money at makeshift roadblocks, drivers told local media.
When some drivers attempted to protest the extortion on Saturday, gunfire erupted. At least three drivers were wounded in the shooting, according to eyewitnesses and sources who spoke with Shabelle Media.
“This is not the first time we’ve complained,” one driver said. “These checkpoints are costing us time and money, and nothing has been done to stop them.”
Drivers called on the Somali federal government and the HirShabelle administration to take urgent action and remove the illegal roadblocks, which they say are severely disrupting trade and civilian movement in the region.
The Somali government has repeatedly pledged to crack down on unauthorized checkpoints, which are widely seen as a source of corruption and instability. But drivers argue that without decisive action, the problem continues to grow.
