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JOWHAR, 8 November 2026 – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said Hiran has been given the Hirshabelle capital, but that the final decision on moving it rests with the Hirshabelle government and administration.
The president made the remarks at the inauguration ceremony of Hirshabelle's leaders, held on Sunday in Jowhar.
"Our brothers and sisters of Hiran, we say the capital has been given to you, but what is expected of you is a capital where people can settle, stay and work, and where people feel ownership, security and stability," he said.
"The capital brings much progress and benefit, but it needs hands capable of managing it," he said.
He said the capital is where the administration and the top leadership reside, which requires agreement, peace and guaranteed security.
Moving the capital requires a process, he said. First, Hirshabelle's constitution, which names Jowhar as the capital, must be amended, discussed and agreed upon. Then, security guarantees must be secured for the place the capital would move to. Once that work is complete, he said, the process would move to a second phase covering how and when the move would take place.
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The president recalled the history of the dispute over the capital. He said the federal government had initially decided that Hirshabelle's capital would be Bulo-burte, but that this did not prove feasible, and a later conference decided that the capital would be Jowhar.
He said no one opposes Hirshabelle's capital being located in the future in a town in Hiran, or, if agreed, in another town in Middle Shabelle.
The remarks came amid political and security tensions in the Hiran region following the election of Hirshabelle's leadership.
Beledweyne has become the main centre of opposition to the re-elected leadership.
Days before the ceremony, tensions rose in Beletweyne after the new Vice President, Abdifatah Hassan Afrah, and former intelligence chief Abdullahi Mohamed Ali Sanbaloolshe arrived in the city, each accompanied by armed supporters.