Somalia army faces waves of desertions as soldiers abandon frontlines following clan leader’s call

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s military is facing a potentially serious internal crisis after waves of soldiers from the Hawadle clan abandoned their positions in the national army and returned to Beledweyne, responding to a directive from their traditional leader, Ugas Yusuf Ugas Hassan, who called on Hawadle servicemen to withdraw from the frontlines and assemble at his residence.

Footage circulating on social media shows dozens of Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers arriving at the clan leader’s residence in Beledweyne, the administrative capital of the Hiiraan region, following his appeal for members of the Hawadle clan serving in the military to abandon their positions and report to him.

The residence has reportedly become a gathering point for returning soldiers, with successive groups arriving over the past two days. The mobilisation represents a potentially significant challenge to the federal government’s efforts to preserve military cohesion and maintain an integrated national force amid mounting political and clan-related tensions.

The developments come at a particularly sensitive juncture for Somalia’s security transition. The country is working to assume greater responsibility for its national defence as African Union forces draw down their presence, while Ugandan troops operating under a separate bilateral security arrangement have also begun withdrawing.

The apparent departures threaten to compound existing pressures on Somalia’s military establishment, raising questions about the reliability of frontline deployments, the unity of the army’s command structure and its capacity to sustain operations against Al-Shabaab.

Hawadle leader signals possible military offensive

Addressing soldiers who had returned to Beledweyne, Ugas Hassan reportedly said they would launch an offensive once sufficient numbers had assembled. He did not specify the intended target, outline an operational plan or clarify the circumstances under which the proposed military action would take place.

His remarks have heightened concerns that the mobilisation could evolve beyond a symbolic demonstration of clan solidarity into a broader armed confrontation, particularly as relations between the Hawadle leadership and the federal government continue to deteriorate.

The latest developments follow an earlier appeal by the traditional leader urging Hawadle clansmen to take up arms and defend Beledweyne against what he described as an impending offensive by rival clans allegedly operating under the protection of government forces.

The allegations have not been independently established. Nevertheless, the rhetoric underscores the depth of the confrontation between the clan leadership and federal authorities, with the dispute increasingly taking on implications for the country’s wider security environment.

Military withdrawals raise concerns over Al-Shabaab frontlines

Of particular concern is the reported withdrawal of soldiers from strategically important military positions in Galgaduud, Lower Shabelle and Middle Shabelle, regions where government forces have been engaged in operations against Al-Shabaab.

If confirmed, the departure of personnel from these areas could create operational vulnerabilities, weaken existing defensive positions and complicate efforts to sustain pressure on the militant group.

The potential consequences extend beyond the immediate loss of manpower. Military deployments depend on coordination between units, continuity of command, intelligence-sharing arrangements and the ability to reinforce positions when security conditions deteriorate. Sudden departures could undermine these arrangements and place additional pressure on units remaining in the field.

A breakdown in military cohesion could therefore provide Al-Shabaab with opportunities to exploit security gaps, particularly in areas where government forces are already operating under considerable logistical and operational constraints.

Clan loyalties expose deeper challenges within Somalia’s national army

Beyond its immediate military implications, the unfolding crisis highlights a longstanding structural challenge confronting Somalia: the difficulty of building a cohesive national army within a political and security environment where clan affiliations continue to exercise considerable influence.

The apparent willingness of soldiers to respond to a traditional leader’s mobilisation appeal, even at the expense of their official military responsibilities, raises fundamental questions about the relationship between clan authority, institutional loyalty and the chain of command.

For the federal government, the episode presents a particularly difficult test of its efforts to establish a unified military institution whose personnel remain accountable to national command structures rather than competing political or clan-based interests.

A nationally representative army is central to Somalia’s long-term security strategy. Its effectiveness, however, depends not only on the composition of its ranks but also on the strength of its command arrangements, the discipline of its personnel and the institutional loyalties underpinning its operations.

The growing confrontation between the Hawadle leadership and federal authorities threatens to expose vulnerabilities in all three areas.

As tensions intensify in Beledweyne, the immediate concern is whether the returning soldiers will remain mobilised under clan leadership, whether the federal government can contain the dispute through political engagement, and what consequences their departure could have for military operations elsewhere.

For a country attempting to reduce its dependence on foreign security forces while continuing its campaign against Al-Shabaab, a confrontation that draws national army personnel away from their assigned positions could hardly come at a more precarious moment.

Somalia’s security transition now faces a challenge that extends beyond the battlefield: preserving the cohesion of the very military institution expected to safeguard the country’s future.

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