BELEDWEYNE (KAAB TV) – Amid an escalating dispute over administration and revenue collection in Beledweyne, Hiiraan Governor Ali Jeyte Osman has been dismissed from his position on Saturday.
Hirshabelle State President Ali Abdullahi Gudlawe announced Jeyte’s removal and appointed Abdullahi Ahmed Maalin as his replacement, according to a decree dated June 16.
Governor Jeyte has been a prominent figure in the local resistance against al-Shabaab, leading the fight in the Hiiraan region with his clan militia and government forces.
He has survived at least one assassination attempt by the militant group.
However, internal challenges arose when he clashed with fellow officials in Hiiraan, particularly from rival clans, as well as his superiors in Hirshabelle over the allocation of tax revenue collected from the region.
In April, Jeyte publicly opposed a demand by the Hirshabelle president to transfer funds collected from the Beledweyne market and checkpoints to the authorities in Jowhar. He openly stated his refusal to hand over money from the people of Hiiraan to corrupt officials in Jowhar.
Jeyte also criticized the proliferation of illegal checkpoints in various towns within Hirshabelle, where trucks and buses transporting civilians were being extorted for additional payments.
The situation further deteriorated when Jeyte clashed with representatives of his own administration in the western part of Beledweyne. They refused to surrender the revenue collected from the largest animal market in the town, leading to a deepening crisis in the region.
The consequences of Ali Jeyte’s removal on the stalled counter-al-Shabaab offensive in the Hiiraan region remain unclear.
The ongoing power struggle and the potential disruption in leadership may impact the progress of the offensive, raising concerns about the stability and security of the area.