A conflict that erupts between Wadajir party and UPD has revealed there is a internal war within the loose Coalition of presidential candidates.
Suspicion was there for a while and last week Dahir Mahamoud Gelle tried to rule out any rifts within their unofficial coalition and even accused the government for spreading those lies.
Reports indicate that a major rift has developed between the most prominent opposition candidates in the Somali political arena.
The fighting is particularly intense between the UPD party led by former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the Wadajir party led by politician Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame.
Fighting against Abdirahman Abdishakur, behind the scenes by politicians from Galmudug and Hirshabelle, is being felt on social media, with A. A. Warsame’s group being severely attacked.
Political analysts believe that President Hassan Sheikh’s faction of the UPD has been waging a war against the Wadajir party for some time, and that it has now come to light.
The worst attack on the Wadajir party was when Abdirahman Abdishakur apologized for writing a letter to Minister Khadijo Diriye at the grave of former Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre.
The main motive behind the attack is unknown, but the UPD has also waged a similar offensive against Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed’s Hiil Qaran party.
If the fighting continues, it could be seen as an opportunity for the outgoing president, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, to downplay the opposition which A. A. Warsame is a leading member.
