Hirshabelle President fires Hiiraan governor amidst regional power struggle
Hirshabelle regional state President, Ali Gudlawe Hussein, fired the governor of Hiiraan region, Abdillahi Maalin Sufurow, on Saturday, who had held the position since June of last year, 2023.
Muse Salaad Weheliye has been appointed as the region’s new governor despite the Hirshabelle State not providing a reason for Sufurow’s dismissal.
Sufurow did not officially resume office after his predecessor, Ali Jeyte Osman, refused to give him the position.
Two weeks ago, local forces loyal to the recently formed Hiiraan State administration ousted governor Abdillahi Maalin Sufurow and his security guards from Beledweyne after a clash in the town that killed six people.
Governor Sufurow has been working in the El-Jale area since the clash after Hirshabelle Interior Minister Abdirahman Dahir Gure confirmed that they relocated the governor and his guards to El-Jale to prevent further clashes. Hirshabelle administration and Hiiraan State officials trade blame for the deadly clash that erupted in Beledweyne.
However, it’s unclear how the new governor will be able to work in Beledweyne, as the Hiiraan State administration, which is against the Hirshabelle administration, controls the town.
