Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has met with the traditional leader of the Hawadle clan, Ugaas Yusuf Ugaas Hassan Ugaas Khaliif, and senior politicians from the clan at the State House to discuss the next leadership of the Hirshabelle State.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, President Hassan Sheikh last week asked the Hawadle clan leadership to agree on a single candidate representing the clan to run in the upcoming Hirshabelle presidential election.
However, during the meeting, the Hawadle clan leaders reportedly agreed to delegate the selection of the clan candidate to the president, the sources said.
The meeting, which took place at the Somali State House, followed several consultations between the President and the Hawadle clan leadership, which focused on who would replace the Hirshabelle leadership.
The alleged agreement is part of a broader political agreement that stipulates that the next President of Hirshabelle will come from the Xawaadle clan, while the incumbent, Ali Guudlawe, comes from the Abgaal clan.
This power-sharing arrangement has been part of Hirshabelle’s political system since the state’s establishment, with political leaders trying to maintain a balance of clans when selecting the administration’s leadership.
Guudlawe, who was elected as Hirshabelle’s third President in November 2020 after receiving 86 out of 99 votes in the Hirshabelle Parliament based in Jowhar, has yet to officially comment on the reported agreement.
It is still unclear who will receive the support of the ruling Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP), led by President Hassan Sheikh, ahead of the Hirshabelle presidential election.
The JSP has strengthened its political position in recent months after solidifying its influence in the South West State and achieving a landslide victory in the first one-person, one-vote local council elections in Galmudug.
