BELEDWEYNE, Somalia | November 9, 2026 — Somali federal soldiers gathered at the Beledweyne residence of Hawadle traditional leader Ugaas Yusuf Ugaas Hassan over the weekend after he urged security personnel from his community to rally in the city and defend Hiiraan. Further arrivals were reported on Monday as federal lawmakers were expected to meet the traditional leader over a widening dispute over Hirshabelle’s leadership.
Federal troops were seen at the residence on Saturday, a day after Ugaas Yusuf issued his appeal. The number of soldiers involved, the units they serve in and whether they left their posts without authorization remain unclear. The federal government gave no immediate public response to the gathering or to the allegations that prompted the appeal.
Speaking at his home on Friday evening, Ugaas Yusuf urged Hawadle personnel serving in the Somali National Army and other security institutions to gather in Beledweyne and stand with their community. He called on them to refuse to take part in operations against residents of Hiiraan and said, in his view, there was no functioning government for them to defend. He accused people in government military uniforms of targeting his community.
Hirshabelle election dispute spills into Beledweyne
The confrontation follows the October 24 leadership election in Jowhar, where Ali Abdullahi Hussein Guudlawe was re-elected as Hirshabelle president and Abdifitah Hassan Afrah was elected vice president. Some elders, politicians and community representatives in Hiiraan rejected the process, saying it went ahead without sufficient consultation or an agreement on how political power would be shared.
Hirshabelle comprises Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle. Disagreements over political representation and the location of the state capital have persisted since the federal member state was established in 2016. The latest election renewed those grievances and sharpened divisions between supporters of the regional administration and groups in Hiiraan seeking a negotiated settlement.
The objections predate the October vote. In September, Hawadle elders, politicians and other community representatives met in Beledweyne under Ugaas Yusuf’s leadership and called for the electoral process to be suspended until there was broader agreement. Their communiqué urged an inclusive process for forming the next administration and warned that proceeding without consensus could lead to unrest.
Former Hirshabelle Parliament Speaker Osman Barre Mohamed and prominent Makane community leaders publicly backed Ugaas Yusuf over the weekend. Osman Barre accused federal authorities of preparing to deploy national security forces against communities with grievances over Hirshabelle’s leadership. He urged Mogadishu to keep federal troops focused on fighting militant groups and warned that residents would defend themselves if attacked.
Hassan Sheikh’s capital proposal draws pushback
Speaking at Guudlawe’s inauguration in Jowhar, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Hiiraan should host Hirshabelle’s capital and urged groups dissatisfied with the administration to avoid retaliation. He said the region would need to identify a city where officials could live and work safely. Any transfer of the state headquarters would require a formal decision by Hirshabelle’s leadership under its constitution.
Former national intelligence chief Abdullahi Mohamed Ali Sanbaloolshe challenged the proposal, arguing that the federal president lacked the authority to decide where Hirshabelle’s capital should be. He said communities in Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle should settle the question through negotiations. His criticism underscored a broader disagreement over who gets to decide Hirshabelle’s political future, including its leadership and the balance of power between the two regions.
Afrah, meanwhile, travelled to Beledweyne and said he wanted to hear local grievances directly from elders and political figures who opposed the election. He dismissed suggestions that armed opponents could prevent him from entering the city, where he was born. His visit opened a channel for talks between the regional administration and its critics as the presence of federal soldiers at Ugaas Yusuf’s home added a security dimension to the dispute.
Members of both houses of Somalia’s federal parliament arrived in Beledweyne on Sunday and were expected to meet Ugaas Yusuf on Monday. The talks were expected to cover the situation in the city, the Hawadle community’s position and possible steps to ease tensions. No outcome had been publicly announced by Monday. It also remained unclear whether any of the soldiers who gathered at the residence had returned to their units.