MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – Militias of undisclosed numbers from Buurhakaba have withdrawn from the city of Baydhabo, saying they are angered by what they describe as a lack of influence or share in the power-sharing arrangements of the South West administration.
The militias, drawn from the Eelaay clan, had previously taken part in the federal government’s offensive on Baydhabo at the end of March this year, which led to the previous South West administration withdrawing from the city.
No official representatives of the Eelaay militias have spoken publicly, but security sources in Baydhabo told Kaab TV that both the fighters and their leaders are dissatisfied, saying they “did not receive the recognition and respect they expected.”
The Eelaay clan is reported to have expected a significant role in the leadership of South West, particularly following the departure of the administration led by Abdiaziz Laftagareen.
However, the federal government appointed Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid, from the Garre clan, as interim leader.
Last week, local media sources reported that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is considering appointing Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur (Madoobe), Speaker of the Federal Parliament and a member of the Hadame clan, as the next president of South West.
Adan Madoobe is affiliated with President Hassan Sheikh’s Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP), a move that has angered several politicians who were aspiring to contest the leadership of the South West administration.
The militias that left Baydhabo are said to be heading toward Buurhakaba district, from where federal government forces trained by Turkey had earlier launched their operations.
Meanwhile, the federal government has deployed additional troops, including the elite Gorgor and Haramcad units, to Baydhabo. Residents say insecurity is worsening, with increased reports of killings and armed robberies, including night-time home invasions where property is looted.
The Al-Shabaab group has also carried out several attacks in and around Baydhabo in recent weeks.
So far, the federal government has not officially commented on the escalating tensions in Baydhabo.