MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Members of Somalia’s Southwest Darwish forces expressed outrage over their leader, Abdiasis Laftagaren, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a lavish celebration to mark his sixth anniversary in office, while his troops on the frontlines suffer from severe hunger and deprivation, with no logistics or salary to sustain them, Caasimada Online news website reported on Sunday.
This week, the regional leader marked his sixth anniversary in office, including a two-year extension deemed illegal and unconstitutional by his opposition, despite being sanctioned by the federal government.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars were allocated to the ceremony at a time when the region is grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis, rising youth unemployment, and a security force that is struggling with unpaid wages and a severe lack of logistics.
Members of the regional Darwish forces, stationed for months in Wanlawayn and surrounding areas to wage a clan-based conflict against residents of Yaqbiri-Wayne town, expressed their dismay that both the Somali Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament attended the ceremony.
In videos circulating on social media, the soldiers issued an ultimatum to their leader, demanding that he address their grievances within 24 hours. Southwest authorities have yet to respond to the developments, and efforts to reach officials for comment have been unsuccessful.
