MOGADISHU, (HAN) — Former Mogadishu Mayor Ambassador Mahmoud Ahmed Nur, widely known as Tarsan, has sharply criticized Hirshabelle State President Ali Gudlawe, accusing him of incompetence and hindering development in the region.
In a strongly worded statement, Tarsan — a prominent politician from the Hirshabelle region — alleged that Gudlawe’s seven-year leadership has turned the state into what he described as a “decaying institution,” claiming the administration lags far behind other federal member states in terms of governance and progress.
He urged traditional elders of the Abgaal clan to intervene, saying the current leadership is failing to deliver basic services and governance to the people of Hirshabelle.
Tarsan also called on Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to take firm action, saying, “If President Hassan Sheikh truly wants Hirshabelle to progress, he must remove Ali Gudlawe from office and appoint new leadership that can bring real change.”
He warned that Hirshabelle risks becoming a negative example in Somalia’s federal system if the current leadership remains in place.
The outspoken former mayor went on to accuse Hirshabelle lawmakers and ministers of being “hostages” under Gudlawe’s control, alleging that the president runs the state like a personal kitchen inside the presidential palace, where officials “wait for meals like displaced people in refugee camps.”
Tarsan’s remarks have stirred political debate across Somalia, reflecting deep divisions within Hirshabelle’s political landscape and growing calls for reform within Somalia’s federal member states.
