Mogadishu(Mogadishu24)-Hundreds have on Saturday gathered in the streets of Mogadishu to protest what they call the ‘illegal detention’ of a former military officer, Captain Sheegow Ahmed Ali, as the court hearing continues.

The protesters argue that Captain Sheegow’s arrest was unlawful and based on tribal profiling, while also citing an unjust and unfair court process.

“General Sheegow is an officer who has served in the National Army, and his arrest was illegal. Today, we are here to show our strong support for him and others who were unlawfully arrested alongside him,” affirmed one of the supporters said.

The supporters have accused top leaders of the federal government of orchestrating the arrest based on community profiling.

This comes at a time when the court hearing against Sheegow and 17 members of his team is ongoing in the Benadir regional court.

General Sheegow’s arrest came after a fierce confrontation between a group of armed men led by him and the police forces in Dharkenley district in Mogadishu on August 20th.

After the clash, the police announced that one soldier from the Paramilitary police department was killed, while two members of the armed group were killed, and several others sustained injuries.

The police also claimed to have killed four of General Sheegow’s armed men and arrested him along with 17 others.

The arrest of Sheegow Ahmed Ali and his team has sparked mixed reactions, with analysts linking it to tribal profiling.