Somalia’s President Arrives in Addis Ababa as Al-Shabab Seizes Key Town

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Addis Ababa on Sunday to attend the second United Nations Food Systems Summit, as his country faces an intensifying security crisis.

President Mohamud was received at Bole International Airport by Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh. His visit comes just hours after the militant group al-Shabab captured the strategic town of Mahas in the Hiran region, part of Somalia’s Hirshabelle state.

Mahas had long served as a key military outpost for Somali government forces and allied local militias in the fight against al-Shabab. Witnesses said government troops withdrew unexpectedly overnight, allowing the militants to take control of the town with little resistance.

Al-Shabab’s capture of Mahas marks the third major town the group has seized in Hirshabelle in 2025, following its takeover of Adan Yabal and Moqokori earlier this year.

The latest fall represents a significant political and security setback for Somalia’s federal government and the regional administration.

Residents told Garowe Online that local Ma’awisley militias had expected an attack from the north, but al-Shabab instead approached from the south, taking the town by surprise.

Political analysts say international trips by Somali leaders offer little value when the country is grappling with a growing internal crisis. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, critics note, has yet to represent Somalia at any major international summit since his appointment.

GAROWE ONLINE