Wednesday August 13, 2025
Beledweyne (HOL) — The chief of the Hawadle community, Ugas
Yusuf Ugas Hassan Ugas Khalif, returned to Beledweyne on Wednesday after
several months abroad, ahead of a major clan conference expected to address the
future of the Hiiraan region.
Ugas Yusuf was accompanied by a delegation that included
lawmakers Abdinasir Haaji Shirwac and Abdirisaq Moalin Iid, as well as former
Hirshabelle President Ali Abdullahi Osoble and other prominent Hawadle
politicians. They were welcomed at Beledweyne Airport by local officials,
traditional elders, and community members.
Speaking briefly to the media, the clan leader announced the
conference will open Thursday at 9 a.m., calling on Hawadle intellectuals to
attend.
The gathering comes amid ongoing fighting in the Hiiraan
region, where Hawadle clan militias, alongside federal government forces, have
been battling al-Shabaab. The clashes have displaced hundreds of families in
recent weeks.
The meeting is highly anticipated, with many expecting the
clan to take a position on the political future of Hirshabelle state — an issue
that has long divided the Hawadle community and is now further complicated by
the conflict with al-Shabaab.