By Abdinasir Mohamed, editor in-chief

Mogadishu (Sunatimes)- At least 18 people have been killed and scores of others injured in two days’ inter-clan fighting over land and water in southern Somalia’s lower Shabelle region controlled by Alshabaab rebels, elders said on Sunday.

The fighting, in Walaweyn town, 90 km to the southwest of Somali capital stuck between two Somali clans who failed to hammer out rural area graze land and water disputes.

“A very misfortunate fighting is going on in this town, its tragedy” Osman Abdi, elder in the town told Sunatimes by phone.

 “The two sides are still at face-off-----we urge peace and reconciliations” he added.

Hundreds of residents have been reported to have fled the town as the Alshabaab militants which control the town had not pondered an essential arbitration to get the situation back to peace.

Alshabaab imposed the agricultural town's farmers’ stern heavy taxes on the impoverished citizens that motivated work strikes by some of the desperate farmers in the region.

Somalia has been without government since 1991 after dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted from power on 1991 by clan militias those later turned the country into experienced lasting chaos.

Source: Sunatimes

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