Demonstrations were held Saturday in Doolow and Garbahaarrey, two major towns in Somalia's Gedo region, following the September 3 incident at General Shub's residence.

Images and reports from the demonstrations showed protesters carrying Turkish flags before some were set on fire. Protesters also chanted against the administration of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and demanded an independent investigation into the attack.

The scenes represent an unusual public display of hostility toward Türkiye, which for years has cultivated one of the deepest foreign political, military and economic relationships with Somalia.

From Strategic Partner to Target of Protest

Türkiye has long presented itself as a close partner of Somalia, providing humanitarian assistance, infrastructure investment, military training and security cooperation.

But the Doolow controversy is threatening that image among sections of the Somali population.

During Saturday's demonstrations, protesters accused Ankara of becoming involved in Somalia's political and clan disputes rather than remaining a neutral strategic partner. Horn Observer reported that demonstrators specifically protested what they described as Turkish interference in Somalia's internal affairs.

Some of the rhetoric surrounding the demonstrations has portrayed Türkiye's expanding political and military influence as a form of "new colonialism.”

Such language reflects the views of protesters and government critics and should not be interpreted as representing Somali public opinion nationwide. Nevertheless, the burning of Turkish flags illustrates the depth of anger now visible in parts of Gedo.

Doolow Attack Triggered the Anger

At the centre of the controversy is the attack on General Shub's residence in Doolow.

Jubaland says an aerial operation involving Turkish military aircraft targeted the former commander and that two missiles were fired, one of which also struck the residence of the Doolow district commissioner.

According to Jubaland, General Shub sustained minor injuries while four civilians, including his wife, were also injured.

General Shub is a former commander of the Somali Custodial Corps and has recently been associated with political forces opposed to the federal administration.

The incident therefore rapidly developed from a security controversy into a major national political dispute.

Former Somali presidents, opposition politicians and other political groups have condemned the attack and demanded accountability.

Jubaland Accuses Türkiye

Jubaland has directly accused Turkish military aircraft of carrying out the Doolow attack and has raised broader concerns over Ankara's military and political role in Somalia.

Those accusations have not been independently proven.

Türkiye has not publicly accepted responsibility for the incident, and available independent evidence has not established who operated the aircraft allegedly involved.

That distinction remains critical as political accusations surrounding the attack intensify.

Mogadishu Denies an Airstrike

Somalia's Federal Government has rejected accusations that it was responsible.

The Ministry of Information said preliminary information received by Somali security agencies indicated that the explosions resulted from explosive materials being prepared inside the house rather than an aerial strike.

The government said it would establish a fact-finding committee to investigate what happened, the motives behind the incident and those responsible.

That explanation has been rejected by Jubaland, opposition politicians and protesters in Gedo, who continue to demand an independent investigation.

The competing accounts mean that one of the most important facts surrounding the controversy remains unresolved:

Was General Shub's residence struck from the air, and if so, who authorised and conducted the operation?

Anger Spreads Beyond Doolow

The protests have already moved beyond the town where the incident occurred.

In Garbahaarrey, the administrative capital of Gedo, protesters burned Turkish flags and images associated with Türkiye. Reports also described demonstrators burning images of senior Somali federal leaders.

A further demonstration has been announced in Kismayo, where local authorities called on residents to gather at Waamo Stadium to express their position on the reported aircraft attack and civilian harm.

The expansion of demonstrations from Doolow to Garbahaarrey and potentially Kismayo suggests that the controversy is no longer confined to the circumstances surrounding one residence.

It is increasingly becoming a political debate about foreign military power inside Somalia.

A Warning for Ankara

The sight of Turkish flags burning in Somali streets carries particular symbolism.

Türkiye has spent years building extensive influence and goodwill in Somalia, while Ankara's military relationship with Mogadishu has grown into a major component of the country's security architecture.

The latest demonstrations therefore pose a reputational challenge.

For protesters, the central question is whether Turkish military capabilities supplied or deployed in Somalia are being used exclusively against recognised security threats such as Al-Shabaab—or whether foreign military power is becoming entangled in Somalia's domestic political confrontations.

There is currently no independently verified evidence establishing that Türkiye conducted the Doolow attack.

But the political damage does not depend solely on whether the allegation is ultimately proven.

The perception among protesters that Ankara may have crossed from strategic partnership into Somalia's internal political struggle is itself becoming a significant issue.

Türkiye-Somalia Relations Face a New Test

Türkiye remains one of Somalia's most consequential international partners, and demonstrations in several towns do not establish the views of Somalia's entire population.

Yet the events in Gedo represent something politically significant.

Somalis have publicly burned the flag of a country that has spent years portraying itself as one of Somalia's closest allies.

Protesters are openly questioning Ankara's military role.

Regional authorities are demanding scrutiny of Turkish military activities.

And political opponents of Mogadishu are asking whether foreign-supplied military capabilities are being drawn into domestic political disputes.

Whether these demonstrations remain concentrated in opposition-controlled areas or develop into a broader movement will be important for both Mogadishu and Ankara.

For now, the Doolow attack has transformed a disputed security incident into a wider controversy over sovereignty, foreign intervention and Türkiye's future role in Somalia.

And until an independent investigation establishes exactly what happened in Doolow, the questions driving that anger are unlikely to disappear.

Sunatimes News Agency — Investigative Desk
Mogadishu / Doolow / Garbahaarrey