Thursday October 3, 2024
Beledweyne (HOL) – The chief of the Hawadle community, Ugas Yusuf Ugas Hassan Ugas Khalif, has successfully overseen the removal of several illegal checkpoints along the road between Beledweyne and El-gal in the Hiiraan region.
The chief, accompanied by Hiiraan regional governor Muse Salad Wehliye and other traditional elders, travelled to the highway connecting Mataban and Beledweyne to dismantle the checkpoints, a significant obstacle to local commerce and transportation.
Reports indicate that at least 36 illegal checkpoints, set up by militia forces between Beledweyne and Mataban, had been extorting money from truck drivers. Nearly 200 trucks carrying various supplies had been stranded at these checkpoints, with militias demanding illegal payments.
These checkpoints contributed to rising food prices in Beledweyne, the regional capital, as businesses struggled to transport essential goods due to the restrictions.
