President Mohamud Says Hirshabelle Leaders to Decide State Capital

GOOBJOOG NEWS | JOWHAR: Federal government of Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said the final decision on the location of Hirshabelle State’s capital rests with the regional administration’s leadership, leaving open a politically sensitive issue that has fuelled debate between communities in Hiran and Middle Shabelle.

Speaking during a ceremony in Jowhar, the president said residents of Hiran had been given the opportunity and the right to have a role in the state capital, but stressed that the final decision would be made by Hirshabelle’s leaders.

He said no definitive decision had been reached on the matter and that the regional administration retained the authority to determine where its capital would be located.

The capital question has been a longstanding point of contention within Hirshabelle, particularly between communities in Hiran and Middle Shabelle.

Jowhar, in Middle Shabelle, currently serves as the state capital, while some political and community figures from Hiran have pushed for greater representation and a role for their region in the administration.

The debate comes amidst wider concerns over power-sharing, political representation and the distribution of state institutions between the two regions that make up Hirshabelle.