Friday June 14, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) —The Somali government has ordered the removal of bodies from the Bulusiya School cemetery in Mogadishu to repurpose the land as a training center for the Somali Navy. This directive has forced many families to exhume and reinter their loved ones, causing significant emotional distress and public protest.
Among those affected is Sade Buulle, who recently exhumed and reburied his grandmother, Warsan Haji Mohamed. Warsan, who passed away in late 2019, had requested not to be buried in Mogadishu. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and logistical challenges, the family buried her at Bulusiya School cemetery against her wishes.
"Thank God, it took us two days to bring her out of the grave we buried her in five years ago. We were shocked and saddened by this," Sade said, reflecting on the emotional toll of the reburial process. Warsan's remains have now been reburied in Aabudwaq in the Galgaduud region, honouring her original wish.
Warsan, who lived to be 100, had explicitly asked not to be buried in Mogadishu, Sade recounted to the BBC. "Grandmother's will was not to be buried in Mogadishu. She requested this while she was still able to speak. Unfortunately, we couldn't fulfill her request due to the intensifying COVID-19 virus at the time. We thought it would be best to keep her with the other Muslims buried there," Sade explained.
The reburial involved a second funeral prayer, attended by many mourners. "Today was sadder than the first day of her death and burial. I never thought that the few meters my grandmother had in this world would be taken away. That surprised me," Sade added.
The Somali government has given families ten days to relocate the bodies from the Bulusiya School cemetery. During an interview this week, Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Noor emphasized the importance of the land to national interests and urged compliance. "This is a crucial issue for the Somali people and the nation as a whole. The Minister said the country's naval coast guard will be stationed there.
The government's decision has sparked controversy and protests among Mogadishu residents. Demonstrators gathered near the cemetery, holding signs and chanting slogans against the relocation, accusing the government of insensitivity and a lack of transparency.
Further complicating the situation, former Somali government spokesman Abdirahman Osman refuted claims made by Defense Minister Noor that the previous government had planned to build a hotel on the cemetery land. "The allegations are baseless and aimed at justifying the current government's actions," Osman asserted.
Bulusiya School cemetery, located in the Hamar district adjacent to the General Kahiya police camp, holds historical significance for many families, adding to the emotional weight of the exhumations. The government's plan to convert the site into a naval training center underscores the tension between development objectives and respecting community sentiments.