A brawl erupted over the weekend between two tribes in central Somalia, resulting in at least 55 fatalities and 155 injuries, according to locals and healthcare workers on Monday.
Somalia’s federal government is grappling not only with the ferocity of the al Qaeda-affiliated al Shabaab, but also with clan disputes over territory and water resources in this Horn of Africa nation.
The Dir and Marihan clans, once united against al Shabaab, clashed on Saturday in the towns of Abudwaq and Herale, in the Galmudug region, due to conflicts over pasture and water sources, explained Farah Nur, a clan elder from Herale.
“Government troops arrived too late. Sadly, 55 people from both clans perished,” he relayed to Reuters.
“An early intervention could have halted the chaos, but it turned into a runaway wildfire.”
High-ranking Galmudug officials did not promptly respond to Reuters’ requests for remarks on the matter.
Medical staff from hospitals in Herale, Abudwaq, and nearby towns confirmed to Reuters that they treated 115 people injured in the altercations. The deceased were interred promptly, according to residents.
The hostilities dwindled after federal forces made their presence known, locals reported.
“A ceasefire holds, but tensions remain high. We need a lasting peace,” stated Sadia Hussein, a mother of four, in a conversation with Reuters from Abudwaq.
