Somali elders defy al-Shabaab order to stay away from Central State conference

Somali elders from Hobyo come together to discuss some of the issues affecting the town in 2010. Al-Shabaab has issued threats to elders from central Somalia, who are meeting to discuss the formation of a Central State administration. [Roberto Schmidt/AFP]

By Fuad Ahmed
Friday, January 23, 2015

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MOGADISHU — Al-Shabaab has warned traditional elders in the towns of Harardhere and El Dher against attending a state formation conference for Somalia's central regions and related consultation meetings.

Four al-Shabaab commanders met with more than 150 elders in the town of Harardhere in Mugud region on January 16th, threatening harsh punishment to anyone who attends the conference, said 56-year-old Harardhere traditional elder Mursal, who withheld his real name for fear of reprisal.

"When we were at the meeting we were not in the position to refuse anything as we had been coerced [to attend] and then threatened," he told Sabahi. "We told al-Shabaab that we accepted their order fearing they would kill us; however, the truth of the matter is that there has been no change in our decision to attend the conference."

Al-Shabaab issued its edict after learning that some elders from Harardhere and El Dher, both areas under the group's control, had travelled to Adado and Dhusamareb to take part in consultative meetings ahead of the state formation conference, traditional elders told Sabahi.

The al-Shabaab commanders told the elders the conference is being sponsored by the Ethiopian government as a ploy to occupy central Somalia and compared participating in the state formation process to committing treason, a claim the elders collectively rejected, Mursal said.

Despite the threats, Mursal said that he and other elders from Harardhere are planning to sneak out of town so they can attend the conference.

"What is pushing us to attend that conference is the desire to represent our people and become a part of the administration," he said. "When fighting for one's rights, a person must show patience in order to overcome some situations that might be dangerous, such as the one we are facing now with the terrorist group al-Shabaab."

Stakeholders are still debating where and when the conference will be held.

'We will not let al-Shabaab stop us'

Traditional elder Jama Muse, 65, from El Dher town in Galgadud region, located 138 kilometres south of Harardhere, said al-Shabaab issued a similar order to the town's elders in hopes of scaring people away from self-determination.

"These men do not want a government administration," he told Sabahi. "They are terrorists and they want to prevent us from getting our rights [and becoming] people who have an administration and order."

"As the elders of El Dher, we will not let al-Shabaab prevent us from getting what we want," he said.

Nine well known elders representing El Dher have already been sent to attend the consultative meeting in Dhusamareb, he said, with more planning to join them.

"We are in constant communication with them and we are ready to send additional delegates if they need more elders. I am willing to go myself," Muse said.

Harardhere resident Faduma Omar, 53, called on the Somali government to liberate her town and other cities in the Galgadud and Mudug regions before the state formation conference begins.

"On behalf of the women of Harardhere, I am asking the Somali government and our brothers in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops to liberate us from al-Shabaab as soon as possible so that the women of the regions can have a visible role in political participation," the mother of five said.

"We are always afraid of al-Shabaab, and even if we try to sneak away from them, they could harm our relatives," she said.

Conference will go ahead as planned

For his part, Minister of Social Affairs for the administration of Himan and Heeb region Omar Mohamed Dirie said conference preparations are well under way and al-Shabaab's threats will have no impact on the meeting.

"Al-Shabaab's threat against the elders from Harardhere and El Dher is an existing challenge. Nevertheless, some of the elders joined us and they are here with us in Adado," he said.

In addition, the most prominent elders and decision-makers representing the regions will be coming from Mogadishu to attend the conference, he said, therefore al-Shabaab's orders will not cause any delays or disruptions in the state formation conference.

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