Scores dead as fierce clan-based fighting in Somalia's Middle Shabelle takes on fourth day

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Scores dead as fierce clan-based fighting in Somalia's Middle Shabelle takes on fourth day

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – The Middle Shabelle region of Somalia witnessed a tragic resurgence of interclan violence on Tuesday and Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of more than 10 people and leaving dozens injured as community members expre

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The conflict has been rooted in a long-standing tribal dispute over land ownership and water wells, and it involves militants from two rival clans who have been clashing in the area.

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – The Middle Shabelle region of Somalia witnessed a tragic resurgence of interclan violence on Tuesday and Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of more than 10 people and leaving dozens injured as community members expressed their concern.

The relentless conflict has forced local residents to flee their rural villages between Adale and Raage Ceelle, seeking safety from the escalating hostilities.

As the clashes intensified, the situation took a horrifying turn when heavily armed militia torched houses in Geyfo village on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the fighting resumed with the two rival militia groups receiving reinforcements.

The conflict has been rooted in a long-standing tribal dispute over land ownership and water wells, and it involves militants from two rival clans who have been clashing in the area.

In the wake of the violence, some of the wounded were transported to Balcad and Mogadishu on both Tuesday and Wednesday for urgent medical attention.

Omar Ali Bashkah, the chairman of the Adale youth group condemned the violence as he came forward to accuse politicians of fueling the war and expressed dismay over the lack of a comprehensive solution.

He remarked, "It is saddening and very unfortunate” that the conflict has become repetitive without any clear resolution in sight.

In response to the escalating bloodshed, elders in Mogadishu issued an urgent call for their participation in halting the violence.

They expressed surprise and disappointment that their previous appeals for peace had gone unanswered.

Clan elder Ali Mohamud urged an immediate end to the hostility and demanded that officials who are using government military and weapons to support the warring clans put an end to their involvement.

During the Wednesday fighting, which primarily took place in rural villages outside Adale town, the conflict escalated further when government military forces, along with their battlewagons, joined the fray.

Sources from the region reported that heavily armed military personnel and weapons from Mogadishu were siding with their respective clan militias, exacerbating the conflict’s intensity.

Local media also reported that officials from the Adale district administration and Raage Ceelle were allegedly contributing to the violence by providing weapons and ammunition to their respective clan militias.

The violence has prompted rural communities in the affected areas to flee in search of safety, while the warring militias continue to receive support from different sources, raising fears that the conflict could persist and escalate further.

However, despite the ongoing bloodshed and calls from various groups for an end to the hostility, Hirshabelle State authorities, particularly the region’s leader Ali Abdullahi Gudlawe, whose own militia was reportedly partaking in the fight, have remained silent on the matter.

The federal government has not publicly addressed the escalating violence, leading to growing frustrations among concerned citizens who are calling for an end to the conflict.