[17][18][15] However, a significant formation occurred in 2018 in central Somalia, led by Hibaad Ali Dasar from Gulane in Middle Shabelle, who organized about 60 men to fight al-Shabab after refusing taxes.

[5] The government has also played a coordinating role, with Somalian president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud establishing Dhusamareb as an interim command center in August 2023 and engaging with local clans.

[25] On 28 January the chief of Somalia's military court, Hassan Ali Nur (Shuute), revealed that human rights abuses committed by the Ma'awisley militias surged by 11%, including attacks on government security forces.

[20] The militias have also been accused of terrorising civilians in liberated areas, settling old scores linked to territorial disputes and control over grazing land, as well as illegal roadblocks for extortion.

[26] On 7 February 2025 however, Somalia's Minister of Defence Omar Ali Abdi announced that the official integration of Ma'awisley militia forces into the Somali National Army (SNA) is underway, with the registration and training of volunteer fighters already in progress.