Following a serious outcry from the public, Ahmed Mohamed Cadaad, the Governor of Maroodi-jeex, has reversed his decision, initially announced this morning, to ban entertainment and cultural performances from hotels in Hargeisa: this was meant to have taken effect since 19/10/2025 because of Islamic values and to protect the local culture.
Saying that they had been misunderstood is Governor Cadaad’s way of backing down. He explained that the aim was to protect the moral value of the region, but was compelled to rethink following a barrage of criticism.
Thus, performances in Hargeisa will now be subject to further consultations to avoid spontaneous reactions in the future. As a matter of fact, this is coming in the heat of the controversy around the concert by singer Haboon Nuura that was initially canceled in Mogadishu but was now given the green light in Hargeisa.
Until this point, Hargeisa has long been an unbroken tradition of music, poetry, and performing arts in Somalia where you find all forms of works and lots of performances done in the city.