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Somalia: Jubbaland civilians were killed and injured and their properties were damaged
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Tuesday January 26, 2021 - 10:36:05 in Latest News by Super Admin
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Proper Reconciliation
Sunatimes.com - Forces loyal to the president of Jubaland clashed with Somali government forces who are stationed there. There were deaths and injuries and the most it was thought to be have been among civilians who had been caught unawares in the fighting.
The Somali information minister said that the Somali government condemned the illegal attack by a militia organised and supported by Kenya government who have attacked the town in an attempt to capture, but the Somali National army defeated them. He said that the government had captured at least 100 prisoners.
On the Jubaland authority side, its vice president, Mohamud Sayed Aden claimed that their forces were first attacked by the troops brought into area by the Somali Federal government, then fighting erupted and spilled over to Beled Hawa Town... He confirmed that Jubaland Forces went inside the town.
This latest fighting comes when Jubaland Federal state and federal government are at loggerheads over the control of Gedo region. The Somali Government had served the diplomatic relation with Kenya over the Gedo issue blaming Kenya to have been interfering Somali Internal affairs, but Kenya vehemently denied any involvement and wrote to African Union.
It expressed great concern saying that the renewed fighting in the border town of Beled Hawa of Gedo Region, southwestern Somalia had intermittently taken place over several months since the beginning of 2020, and it appeared to involve the Somali National Army against regional forces from the Jubaland Federal State of Somalia.
It also said that Kenya’s primary concern was that the renewed fighting engenders large-scale displacement of civilians inside Somalia and increasingly generates large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers to Kenya, therefore aggravating the already dire humanitarian situation in Somalia and in the refugee camps in Kenya. It concluded that the situation could further destabilize the region, complicate the security situation and reverse gains made in the fight against terrorism.
It is a common knowledge that the control of Gedo is strongly contested over 16 Electoral seats by the Jubaland president’s supports ( Mareehan and Ogaden clans) and the supporters of president Farmaajo's supporters ( Mareehan clan). There is no independent source to confirm who stared the fighting in the town, but there were claims and contra claims of both sides.
Meanwhile, it is sad that ten hours of heavy fighting has devastated the town. Beled Hawa is reported to be calm now and the people are burying their dead and asking ‘why all these fighting in their town.’ (There are a lot gruesome pictures in the social media). If they had a choice they would have preferred this political tension over Gedo to be handled in peaceful manner. But they never had that opportunity.
Analysts believe that this latest fighting was unnecessary as there was a mediation effort led by the International Community over the electoral dispute and control of Gedo. Whoever stared the fighting the fact remains that civilians were killed and injured and their properties were damaged.
It is important that the people who are responsible all these mayhem ought to be held accountable if Somalia needs to have a meaningful law and order. The Civil Society groups including somali law society should work an indigenous plan which bring the culture of impunity to a conclusive end.
Many people believe that the renewed clan fighting in many places in country show that Somalia needs a meaningful and proper reconciliation to take place among Somali clans and within clans themselves. They say that only people who have can undertake that kind reconciliation conference are the civil society groups led by all Somali clan leaders. The end.
By Mohamed Mohamud Adde
The author is an academic and an Independent Somali Political Analyst.
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Somalia: Jubbaland civilians were killed and injured and their properties were damaged
Proper Reconciliation Sunatimes.com - Forces loyal to the president of Jubaland clashed with Somali government forces who are stationed there. There were deaths and injuries and the most it was thought to be have been among civilians who had been