At least 15 people were reportedly killed and 25 others were
wounded in a fierce fighting in the outskirts of KM50 in Lower Shabelle.
Somali media reported the conflict is between rival clans
within the Somali Armed Forces. A report on Somali National shown Elders from
Biyamaal Clan including a Colonel from Somali National Army stating the
conflict is result of "land grab" by another clan using SNA.
Furthermore, the Elders in Baydhabo conference condemned the
conflict as attached led by General Indha Ade, but he vehemently denies the
allegations.
Witnesses who Siyaasi post spoked to said they were really
worried as Somali Armed Forces attacked the area with heavy machine guns
killing a number of civilians and injuring more including Somali government
officials based in the KM50 area.
“Government troops led by the head of Somali military based
in Lower Shabelle attacked the area and killed a lot of people including
civilians “ Sources said. “They attacked other government troops based in KM50
because of a clan dispute” added the official.
The infighting between the armed forces is a reoccurring
event which ravages people’s lives and leads to disastrous results. Somalis
whom we spoke to complained of the undisciplined behavior of soldiers who
participate in these fightings, labeling them as no different than highway
robbers and bandits.
Clan pride and the culture of taking revenge against any
member of the perpetrator's clan (i.e., collective punishment) are not only
causes of traditional clan wars but the cause of the recent civil war. For some
theorists, pride or prestige is considered a type of resource, albeit not a
quantifiable one. There are numerous examples that show how clan pride
motivated conflicts.
Clan pride causes conflicts between clans when a member of a
clan kills another person. The clan of the victim often takes such an act as an
injury to its pride and takes revenge. Besides competition for resources and/or
power, there are many examples where a war began between two clans because of a
perceived injury to clan pride and the collective punishment that followed it.
Somalia’s Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon has called on
warring sides in KM-50 in Lower Shabelle region to immediately cease the
hostilities.
The Prime Minister said in a statement from his office in
Mogadishu that the continuation of the fighting is “unfortunate” which claimed
the lives of more than 20 people.
He called on all sides to solve their differences through
negotiations as he sent his condolences to the families that lost their loved
ones to the fighting.
The government warned of the negative impacts that the
skirmishes might have on the government’s efforts to drive out Al Shabaab
fighters from the rest of the region.
His Excellency President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud today called
on all parties to refrain from violent activities in Middle Shabelle, southern
Somalia.
Updating Somali citizens about the situation in the Middle
Shabelle during a press conference in Villa Somalia, the President said the
Commander of the Somali National Army intervened with his forces to stabilize
the area affected by the recent conflict. The Somali army also returned
displaced citizens to their villages.
“They’re now safe and the immediate situation has been
defused,” said the President. “The Government of Somalia is convening a
reconciliation process, and so far elders and civil society are playing their
role and are assisting the government in resolving the issues. The fighting
must stop. I call on all parties to completely refrain from violence.
Lower Shabelle Elders show doubts the impartiality of
committee of ministers appointed by prime minister. The head of the committee,
Minister of Justice Abullahi Abyan Nur, was quoted in Hiiraan Online stating,
"they succeeded to return warring parties to their bases." He
concludes, we will issues final report on who initiated the conflict.
All this comes amidst of leadership crises at the top of
Somali Federal government.
Hashim Sheikh Abdinoor
SP, Nairobi, Kenya
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