Somalia’s Minister of Livestock, Mr. Hassan Hussein Mohamed, popularly known as Eelay, has entered the city, according to video footage that has surfaced from Baidoa. The minister arrived in a convoy of bulletproof cars that Turkey had recently given to the Somali government.
The video, confirmed by local sources and circulating on social media, shows the minister’s heavily armored vehicles driving through the streets of Baidoa, the administrative capital of Somalia’s South West State. Despite the lack of a formal public statement outlining the purpose of the minister’s visit, the development aligns with ongoing security operations in the area.
Turkey has been a vital security and development partner for Somalia, offering equipment, infrastructure support, and military training, including the armored vehicles that senior Somali officials currently use. The usage of these vehicles highlights the ongoing threat that armed groups in the region pose.
Minister Eelay’s arrival in Baidoa is viewed as a demonstration of the government’s confidence and a move to strengthen the federal presence in the area. In the upcoming hours, more information about his schedule and meetings is anticipated.