Conflicts between opposing groups in Hiiraan result in one soldier’s death and another’s injury.

Beledweyne (AX) – A soldier perished while another sustained injuries in a skirmish involving forces from the Hiiraan State and Hirshabelle State in Beledweyne, nestled in the Hiiraan region, on a bright Friday morning.

The fracas broke loose at Lamagalay camp, which serves as the nerve center of the Hiiraan region. Reports suggest that troops from Hirshabelle tried to throw a wrench in the works of the impending celebrations marking the first year of Hiiraan State’s existence, slated for Saturday, as noted by Hiiraan insiders.

The air is thick with tension ever since Hiiraan’s Governor, Ali Jeyte Osman, took a bold step, proclaiming Hiiraan’s secession from Hirshabelle State after he found himself proverbially out on his ear, following his removal by President Ali Abdullahi Hussein of Hirshabelle State in June 2023.

Messengers of peace, traditional elders and intellectuals, jumped into the fray, managing to quell the unrest for a spell, but the townsfolk remain jittery, as the two factions are still just a hop, skip, and a jump away from each other, raising concerns of a possible encore of the conflict.

Edited by: Ali Musa

Axadle international–Monitoring