In a country that is never short of hot button issues, lately the Ma’wisley issue has been stirring the strongest emotions and widely broadening the political division among the Somali people since 1991.
Within the past few months, al-Shabaab has committed bold terrorist attacks utilizing explosives and targeted massacres in Hirshabelle, Galmudug, and South West federal states. All these Somalia federal states happen to share border(s) with Ethiopia. Moreover, these three also share another more intriguing common denominator: random formation of local vigilante groups known as Ma’wisley who have sworn to eradicate al-Shabaab.
Though the issue reeks of clan sentiments, Somalis who are in favor and those against often hide behind a thinly-veiled arguments of ‘right to self-defense’ and ‘nationalism.’ Supporters of the current Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, consider the Ma’wisley indigenous heroes who are aiding the current government to defeat al-Shabaab. On the other hand, supporters of the former President, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, consider them a treasonous militia that aided an opposition group determined to prevent Farmajo’s term extension plan to reach its objective. Read more
Source: The Geopolitics
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