MOGADISHU, Somalia Nov 19 (Garowe Online) - A Somali clan elder in the capital Mogadishu said he has fled the city following "threats" from government officials.

Mohamed Hassan Haad, chairman of a self-appointed Hawiye Council, said he hid in Mogadishu for a while but has completely left the capital for fear of his own life.

Mohamed Hassan Haad

"Fear has forced me to leave Mogadishu and I was afraid of being arrested like Ahmed Dirie," Mr. Haad said, referring to his comrade arrested by Mogadishu police last week. [ Full story]

Both Mr. Haad and Mr. Dirie represent a group of Hawiye clan elders opposed to the presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia. The Hawiye clan is the dominant community in the Mogadishu area.

He did not mention who in the government threatened him.

Mr. Haad said he was very concerned about Dirie's health, saying: "We have been informed that his [Dirie] diabetes and high blood pressure has worsened."

The clan elder said his friend Dirie was "handed over to Ethiopia" and that no one but the governments of Ethiopia and Somalia knew his exact whereabouts.

Mohamed "Dheere" Omar, the mayor of Mogadishu, issued threats to Hawiye Council members in August, saying that the elders "will either die or flee to Asmara like [Islamic] Courts leaders." [ Full story]

Source: Garowe Online