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.
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.