JOWHAR — Political divisions within Somalia’s Hirshabelle state deepened on Wednesday after senior officials, politicians and traditional elders from the Hawadle clan boycotted a government ceremony held in the regional capital, Jowhar.
Traditional elders of the Hawadle community, led by Ugaas Yusuf Ugaas Hassan Ugaas Khalif, announced they would not attend the event, saying they did not consider it a “matter of genuine reconciliation in Jowhar” and citing unresolved grievances that, they said, had long remained unaddressed.
In their statement, the elders indicated that their decision was rooted in ongoing political and administrative disputes within the federal member state, adding that previous concerns raised by the community had not been satisfactorily resolved.
Several federal lawmakers, Hirshabelle regional parliamentarians, and prominent political figures from the Hawadle clan also skipped the ceremony, further highlighting growing political fragmentation within the state’s leadership and communities.
Hirshabelle Vice President Yusuf Ahmed Hagar “Dabageed,” who also hails from the Hawadle clan, was notably absent from the event. Despite reported mediation efforts by elders and political figures seeking to persuade him to attend the inauguration of development projects in Jowhar, those efforts reportedly failed.
Sources close to the matter said last-minute discussions were held to convince the vice president to travel to Jowhar, but he declined, deepening speculation over internal disagreements within the regional administration.
Meanwhile, additional ministers, lawmakers and traditional elders from Hiiraan region also stayed away from the ceremony, signalling widening political rifts between Hirshabelle’s top leadership and influential regional stakeholders.
The boycott underscores escalating tensions within the federal member state, where disputes over political representation, governance and resource allocation continue to strain relations between key actors.
Observers warn that the growing divide could undermine cooperation within Hirshabelle’s administration unless formal reconciliation efforts are initiated to address longstanding grievances.
