Ex-HirShabelle Abdi Waare says will file case against Turkish-trained troops in Somalia

Former Hirshabelle state president Mohamed Waare has said he will be filing a case in Ankara following the deployment of Turkish-trained troops in Beletweyne for ‘political purposes’.

Waare said during an interview on a local radio station in Mogadishu that he will seeking legal redress in Turkey following the recent deployment of Haram’ad and Gorgor units to Beletweyne amid a stand off between clans in the region and Hirshabelle government.

Waare did not however state if he was going alone with the proposed legal suit.

Both Haram’ad (a paramilitary police unit) and Gorgor of rhe Somali National Army were trained in Turkey.

Waare said separately in a tweet that it was time to re-asses the utility of the Turkish forces.

“Turkiye’s strategic interest in Somalia & the brotherly relations between the two countries is not served well by training and funding troops that are then put outside the formal command-and-control structures and used for political exercises. Time for reassessment,” the former Hirshabelle leader said.

The deployment of the forces last week was roughly condemned by several leaders. The Council of Ministers subsequently ordered the withdrawal. However, the troops still remain in Beletweyne.