Reports from Mogadishu indicate that the Army Chief of Somalia, General Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud is considering the possibility of recalling Mr. Ali Jeyte Osman into active military service in order to lead the local defense forces known as “Ma’awisley” in the Hiiraan region. The Army Chief is spearheading efforts to contain the intensifying activities of Al-Shabab in the eastern part of the region, as the militia has been exerting security pressure on liberated areas there since last year. The Somali Forces are struggling to halt Al-Shabab’s expansionist attacks, cut off reinforcements to the militia in the eastern and western parts of the region, and disrupt their movement between Southern and Central regions.
An officer from Somalia’s National Army headquarters in Mogadishu told Universal TV that the military commander has several options on the table to address the situation in the Hiiraan region, and that Mr. Ali Jeyte Osman-who has twice served as the Governor of the Hiiraan—figures among the available choice. Another Somali military official stated that Ali Jeyte is viewed as someone who would help the forces achieve their combat objectives in the region. General Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud, Commander of the Somali National Army is reportedly contemplating enlisting Jeyte’s assistance in the offensive against Al-Shabab, given his experience in fighting the militia and his potential to lead the troops to victory in this challenging conflict.
Jeyte played a prominent role in the battles against Al-Shabab during the first phase of the National Liberation Campaign conducted in 2022 and 2023, when the National Army and Ma’awisley forces drove the militia out of the eastern region. In September 2022, Jeyte organized and led a popular uprising against Al-Shabab in the Hiiraan region— a movement that subsequently spread to Middle Shabelle, Galguduud and Mudug regions. The National Army supported by local residents who took up arms to defend themselves against Al-Shabab, ousted the group from approximately 70 percent of the territory it held in the Hirshabelle and Galmudug regions during the 2022 and 2023; however, the militia recaptured most of the areas from which it has been driven out after the offensive against it stalled.
Military experts indicate that the operation demonstrated that Al-Shabab militia can be defeated in a short period and that the group is more vulnerable than it previously thought. Jeyte was appointed on October 29, 2023, as the presidential liaison for Ma’awisley (Civilian Defense Forces) affairs; however, his leadership role regarding these forces have diminished or curtailed over the past two years, as Villa Somalia shifted its focus away from the fight against Al-Shabab to concentrate an amending and finalizing the provisional constitution and addressing the country’s electoral processes. It is possible for Jeyte to lead the Ma’awisley once again, provided that Commander Ibrahim agrees to assume the leadership and secures the approval from Federal Government Officials.
