Hawadle militias quit front lines in Hiran region
About 2,000 fighters have seized government offices in Beledweyne, seeking an administration independent of Mogadishu.
Hawadle clan militias, known as Macawisley, have abandoned front-line positions in Somalia’s central Hiran region, including in Mataban and Buulo Barde districts. The fighters seized control of the regional capital, Beledweyne, over the weekend, taking over the provincial headquarters and other government offices. About 2,000 heavily armed clan fighters are now in Beledweyne as part of a plan by Hawadle political figures to create an authority separate from Mogadishu and Hirshabelle.
Fears exist that Hawadle soldiers serving in the federal army in Hiran could also defect, potentially exposing remaining government-held areas to Al Shabaab. The Macawisley were formed in 2022 to fight Al Shabaab and had received support from the federal government, Ethiopia, and the United States. A former head of the National Intelligence and Security Agency stated that they planned to set up an administration to confront the government in Hiran.
Hawadle politicians claim President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud promised their clan the Hirshabelle presidency but later reneged. They accuse the federal government of backing incumbent regional president Ali Gudlawe in a Mogadishu-controlled re-election vote. It remains unclear if Mogadishu will send reinforcements to the Hiran region.
Why it mattersThe withdrawal of militias and seizure of government offices creates a security vacuum that could allow Al Shabaab to regain territory.