Sunday 25,May 2025 {HMC} The Director of Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), Abdullahi Mohamed Ali Sanbaloolshe, has praised the Macawisley militia from the Hawaadle clan for their frontline role in fighting the al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab insurgency.
Speaking at a high-level meeting in Moqokori district attended by federal lawmakers, the Hirshabelle Interior Minister, military commanders, clan elders, and Macawisley leadership, Sanbaloolshe urged the militia not to limit their operations to defending their own communities but to actively assist in liberating other areas still under Al-Shabaab control.
“The war we are currently in is not just about defending our own areas. We must also reclaim every inch of land seized by the Khawarij [Al-Shabaab],” Sanbaloolshe declared. “As long as they remain in places like Adan Yabaal, Ceelbaraf, and El-Ali Ahmed, none of us can sleep in peace.”
The intelligence chief praised the Macawisley fighters for their resilience and national spirit, recalling their role in the initial pushback against Al-Shabaab in 2022. He emphasized that their actions sent a message that the group can be defeated through unity and determination.
“You stood firm when many others were unsure. Al-Shabaab’s goal has always been to divide, oppress, and dismantle us. Your courage proves that they can be stopped,” he said.
Sanbaloolshe also appealed to other clans in the region to join the fight and called on the Federal Government to seize the current momentum, describing the determination of the local forces as a “military opportunity” to end Al-Shabaab’s reign of terror.
“Let us not waste time in endless meetings. Where there is fire, we must add firewood,” he said, stressing urgency in the national counter-terrorism effort.
The Hawaadle Macawisley militia was among the first grassroots forces to take up arms against Al-Shabaab, gaining public and government recognition for their effectiveness in reclaiming territory and securing local communities
Source Hiiraan
