Beledweyne (AX) — Hirshabelle President Ali Gudlawe Hussein has removed Hiiraan regional Governor Mohamed Hussein Mohamed Arab and appointed Muse Salad Weheliye to replace him, according to a presidential decree issued Monday.
The spokesperson for the Hirshabelle presidency said the move followed a recommendation by the regional administration’s minister of interior and local government.
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The spokesperson confirmed that Gudlawe had signed the decree making both the dismissal and appointment official.
The leadership change follows growing concerns raised by the Hiiraan administration over how tax revenue from Beledweyne’s livestock market is distributed.
Mohamed Hussein Mohamed Arab had challenged the allocation of revenue collected in Beledweyne to other localities, saying some of the areas receiving funds did not have the services or infrastructure to warrant their share.
In a recent interview, the governor also condemned what he called an unfair division of livestock market revenue, arguing that it was unjust for certain areas to receive more than others.
It is not clear whether the revenue dispute contributed to his dismissal. The Hirshabelle presidency has not publicly connected the decision to the disagreement.
The change comes as political tensions intensify in Hirshabelle ahead of the regional presidential election.
Gudlawe, the incumbent president, is seeking a second term amid disputes over the electoral process. Some Hiiraan politicians and community leaders are calling for a wider political agreement on representation and power-sharing.
Muse Salad Weheliye now takes charge of Hiiraan at a delicate moment, with unresolved disputes continuing over governance, the distribution of resources and political representation.
