Al-Shabaab deploying dollar muscle to remove veteran governor-Presidential envoy https://t.co/oePfbKwenR
— Goobjoog News (@GoobjoogNews) April 23, 2023
The murderous Moslem group al-Shabaab
...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...is using its dollar muscle to influence the removal of Hiiraan regional governor Ali Jeyte
...more fully Ali Jeyte Osman...
who has been the backbone of the nine-months long military offensive in the Middle Shabelle region, a senior government official has claimed.Presidential envoy for Civilian Protection and Stabilization said in a Twitter post on Friday that he had received credible information that al-Shabaab was seeking to sway Hir-Shabelle president Ali Gudlawe to remove Jeyte.
"We have reliable information that Al-Shabaab is spending millions to have Governor Ali Jeyte replaced. Replacing Governor Jeyte at this time is giving aid and comfort to Shabaab. "President @GudlaweHussein leave Governor Jeyte alone!, the outspoken envoy said.
Jeyte has been at the forefront in the joint operations by the Somali National Army, regional forces and clan militia. It is in his region, Hiiraan where the war against al-Shabaab, then championed by the Ma’aswisley clan militia started. The Federal Government joined in about August by deploying the Somali National Army.
The removal of Jeyte would therefore deal a major blow to the war as it head further east to Galgadud region. The government is also planning to launch the second phase of the operation which focuses south starting from South West state.
Al-Shabaab is known to command a strong financial muscle and has used it severally for intelligence gathering and fighting operations. A UN report last November revealed that the group was spending up to $1 million in salaries for its fighters.
Mohamed Abdi Waare, the former president of HirShabelle state, says Ali Jeyte Osman, who has been fighting the militants on the battlefield, is now the key target, with Al-Shabaab allegedly contributing millions of dollars with the sole purpose of dethroning him from his current position.
Waare, who is the current Special Presidential Envoy for Civilian Protection and Stabilization, said the militants are spending millions to replace the governor, who has been instrumental in kicking out the militants. Jeyte has led several battles that saw the liberation of key ground since 2022.
He also warned that replacing Jeyte at this time would provide aid and comfort to Shabaab. The militants always target people believed to be against their course and at times, they plot assassination against them.
Waare added, "President Ali Guudlaaw, leave Governor Jeyte alone." Waare's warning comes at a time of strong conflict between Governor Jeyte and the leaders of Hirshabeelle, related to the Hirshabelle centralized tax collection plan.
Three men were at the center of the war on Al-Shabaab in the Hiran region, two of them elder Hagar and Danab's deputy Commander Hassan Ture were killed on the frontlines. Now, Al-Shabaab making all that it can to remove Governor Jeyte from the battlefield.
Somalia is set to go for the second phase of operations against Al-Shabaab and Governor Jeyte has been instrumental in the coordination of the crackdown against the militants. Al-Shabaab is fighting for its dominance in central and southern Somalia which they have considerably lost.