Tuesday November 3, 2020
HirShabelle President Abdi Waare who largely run his administration from Mogadishu and has been adversely accused of trading the state leadership for political expediency has resigned days before his stay in office expires.
Having presided over one of most incompetent and divisive administrations, Waare’s resignation has been widely described as inconsequential.
In his resignation letter, Waare points fingers at the Federal Government and lawmakers from HirShabelle for ‘rejecting my proposal to delay the state elections for one month.’
His argument according to resignation letter was to allow for the Federal Parliament elections to be completed ‘in order to create a stable situation and allow consultations with elders.’
But elders in Hiiraan region who spoke to HOL accuse Waare of breaching all agreements and running the state from Mogadishu.
“We were never consulted on the selection of the MPs. We just saw names popping up,” the elders said.
The elders dismissed Waare as a ‘failed leader’ who was ‘never in charge’.
His tenure which started in October 2017 after he took over from Ali Abdullahi Osoble has been marked by under- development and divisions among clans in the state which is made up of Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan regions.
Osoble was removed in a no-confidence vote by the state parliament.
There are no government instutions in place while security has remained fragile with frequent Al-Shabaab attacks particularly in Bal’ad which has become a hotspot for the militant group. For a better part of his presidency, Waare operated from Mogadishu where he has been in good books with power mandarins in the capital.
Multiple sources have alluded to Waare’s surrender of the state semi-autonomy to the Federal Government which treats it as part of the city administration.
Ali Abdullahi Hussein (Ali Guudlaawe), the preferred candidate for the Federal Government is however no better option given his lack of professional competence and track record. Guudlaawe is the state vice president.