Somalia: President denies Al-Shabaab takeover as group signs clan deal

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stated that the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab will not be able to reclaim control of the country, despite the ongoing conflict. Mohamud noted that the security landscape has shifted significantly, with government forces and international partners driving the group hundreds of kilometers away from the capital, Mogadishu.

In central Somalia’s Hiran region, Al-Shabaab announced it has signed an agreement with the Hawadle clan to end a four-year conflict. The deal, facilitated in the town of Mahas, aims to implement Islamic law in Hawadle-inhabited areas. This development follows a period of battlefield volatility where Al-Shabaab retook territory previously held by government and African Union forces.

The clan agreement occurs amid heightened tensions between the Hawadle and the federal government. Local political friction has emerged following disputes over regional presidential nominations and election boycotts in the Hirshabelle state.