Violent clash between Dir and Marihan clans in Somalia results in 55 deaths and 155 injuries, highlighting ongoing struggles with al Shabaab and clan conflicts over resources.
Somalia (Bollywood Fever): A violent clash between two clans in central Somalia over the weekend resulted in at least 55 deaths and 155 injuries, according to residents and medical officials on Monday. Somalia’s federal government is not only grappling with violence from the Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group but is also dealing with clan-based conflicts over land and water control.
The confrontation between the Dir and Marihan clans, who had previously united in a paramilitary group to oust al Shabaab from the Galmudug region, began on Saturday in the towns of Abudwaq and Herale. The dispute was over grazing land and watering points, explained Farah Nur, a clan elder and resident of Herale. “Government forces came late. Unfortunately, 55 people died, this includes both clans,” he told Reuters. “It was easy to stop (the fight) but it didn’t happen. The situation got out of hand and spread like a wildfire.”
Hospital staff in Herale, Abudwaq, and two other nearby towns confirmed to Reuters that they treated 115 people injured in the conflict. The deceased were buried immediately, according to residents.
“We believe al Shabaab is indirectly behind this strange war,” said Ahmed Shire Falagle, a security adviser to the president of Galmudug state. “These are two brotherly clans that jointly used to defeat al Shabaab.”
The fighting lessened with the arrival of federal government soldiers, residents and Falagle noted. “There is (a) ceasefire but the mood is not good. A permanent ceasefire is needed,” said Sadia Hussein, a mother of four, from Abudwaq.
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