By Horn Africa News
BELEDWEYNE — The paramount leader of the Hawadle community, Ugas Yusuf Ugas Hassan Ugas Khalif, arrived in Beledweyne on Wednesday after several months abroad, ahead of a landmark clan conference set to shape the political and security trajectory of Somalia’s Hiiraan region.
Ugas Yusuf was joined by a high-profile delegation, including Members of Parliament Abdinasir Haaji Shirwac and Abdirisak Moalim Iid, former Hirshabelle State President Ali Abdullahi Osoble, and other senior Hawadle political figures. They were warmly received at Beledweyne Airport by local government officials, traditional elders, and large crowds of community members.
Speaking to reporters upon arrival, the clan leader confirmed the conference will open Thursday at 9 a.m., urging Hawadle intellectuals, scholars, and community leaders to participate actively.
The meeting comes against a backdrop of intensifying conflict in Hiiraan, where Hawadle clan militias, in coordination with federal forces, have been engaged in fierce battles against the al-Shabaab militant group. The fighting has displaced hundreds of families in recent weeks, deepening the humanitarian crisis.
Many observers expect the gathering to produce a unified stance on the long-debated political future of Hirshabelle State — a contentious issue within the Hawadle community now further complicated by the ongoing war with al-Shabaab.
