At least 10 killed as rival armed groups clash in Elbarde town of Somalia

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At least 10 killed as rival armed groups clash in Elbarde town of Somalia

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – At least 10 people have lost their lives, while an unknown number have been injured after gunfight erupted in Elbarde town of Bakool region, near the Somali border with Ethiopia on Wednesday, according to local resi

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Elbarde is a town on the Somali border with Ethiopia.

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – At least 10 people have lost their lives, while an unknown number have been injured after gunfight erupted in Elbarde town of Bakool region, near the Somali border with Ethiopia on Wednesday, according to local residents.

The armed clash broke out between the Darwish forces and the military divided along clan lines. Darwish, predominantly from Rahanweyn is a police unit trained and equipped by the European Union, UK and U.N. through a joint police program while the military in Elbarde are composed of ethnic Ogaden and trained by Ethiopia.

The conflict escalated dramatically when a soldier from the Darwish force was shot by the military forces. The casualties of this fierce battle include combatants from both sides, as well as innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

Frightened by the violence, civilians are fleeing the area, seeking safety elsewhere. Disturbing online videos have emerged, showing the bodies of deceased soldiers strewn across the streets.

The tension in Elbarde had been mounting recently after local clan elders rejected a newly appointed administration by the Southwest authorities in Baidoa. The control of Elbarde has been a subject of dispute between the Ogaden and Rahanweyn ethnic groups.

No official statements have been released by the military or Southwest authorities regarding the armed conflict in Elbarde or the underlying reasons that led to its eruption.

The residents of Ebarde town have been enduring severe humanitarian hardships as a result of an prolonged siege enforced by the al-Shabaab militant group since the entrance of government forces and allied Ethiopian forces into the town in 2018.

Wednesday’s clash follows closely on the heels of a similar outbreak of violence in Barawe, located in the Lower Shabelle region, where the Hawiye-dominated military units clashed with the Darwish forces of Rahanweyn from the Southwest, resulting in loss of life and property.

The conflict in Elbarde marks the fourth instance of ethnic warfare in Southwest Somalia, following previous conflicts in Marka, Yaaqbiriweyne, and the recent one in Barawe.