Xawaadle leader accuses government of invading Hiiraan
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Puntland Post
Xawaadle traditional leader Yuusuf Ugaas Xasan calls on residents of Hiiraan to defend their territory against what he presents as an offensive carried out in the name of the Somali government. He also urges Xawaadle soldiers to support their community amid tensions in Beledweyne, according to Puntland Post.
Ugaas Yuusuf Ugaas Xasan, traditional leader of the Xawaadle clan, accuses Somalia’s federal government of preparing an attack against the population of Hiiraan region. During a press conference in Beledweyne, he called on residents to defend their honour and existence and to gather quickly in the city, Puntland Post reports.
The traditional leader also called on soldiers from the Xawaadle clan who are members of the national army to support the local population. He says the mandate of the government led by President Xasan Sheekh Maxamuud has come to an end, according to Puntland Post.
The statement comes as tensions oppose residents in Beledweyne in Hiiraan and the federal government. The situation has worsened with the arrival in the city of Cabdullaahi Sanbaloolshe, who came from Ethiopia, and Hirshabelle State Vice-President Cabdifataax Afrax, who came from Mogadishu, the Somali media outlet reports.
Puntland Post also links the tensions to elections organised by the federal government in the South West and Hirshabelle states, which have caused security disturbances and divisions in those regions.
