21 people buried after deadly clan fighting in Sool region
Twenty-one people were buried in Adhi-Addeeye district after deadly clan fighting in Somalia’s Sool region, as officials said security forces had taken control and investigations were underway.
Las Anod (Somali Report) — Twenty-one people were buried Tuesday in Adhi-Addeeye district in Somalia’s Sool region after they were killed in renewed clan fighting a day earlier, local officials and residents said.
Residents, elders, and politicians attended the mass burial after clashes left civilians dead and caused property damage. Local sources reported that the victims included women, children, and elderly people.
Northeastern administration forces took full control of security in Adhi-Addeeye on Tuesday to calm the town, as talks were underway to prevent further conflict.
“The situation in Adhi-Addeeye town is normal, and it is under the control of government officials,” officials from the Northeastern Council of Ministers and the Sool regional administration said. “We hope that the fighting will stop there and the city will return to normal.”
Officials said armed clan militias had been removed from the town and would not be allowed to reenter. Government forces were deployed to secure the area as elders and local leaders began efforts to mediate between the two communities.
Ali Ahmed Ali, the deputy interior minister for Somalia’s northeastern administration, said the violence was an unexpected reversal after earlier efforts to settle a land dispute between the clans.
“We had planned to resolve the previous one, but fate has struck,” he said.
Ali said the two communities had been involved in a dispute earlier this month over grazing land, but that the matter had been resolved and the government had been monitoring the agreement.
“Initially, people were fighting over grazing land. You know, it was rural people fighting over valleys,” he said. “We have resolved that, the two communities have reached an agreement and the government has been monitoring it.”
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He said Monday’s violence broke out during a scheduled ceremony marking the agreement between the communities. The fighting began after two men traveling on the road were attacked, he said.
“Investigations are underway, they are going well for us, so that we can find out who did what and who is accountable for what happened,” Ali said.
Sultan Mustafa Mahmoud Aw-Seed, a local traditional leader from one of the clans involved, described the killings as a tragedy.
“According to my information, 24 people, one of whom is a woman from my clan, and three of whom are women, have died,” he said.
Local elders appealed for calm and urged both sides to resolve the dispute peacefully, describing the communities as “two brotherly clans.”
“We offer our condolences to both sides for the victims of the war, and we call on them to resolve the conflict through dialogue and peace,” the elders said. “We also call on both sides to exercise restraint and not escalate the conflict.”
Somalia’s Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation condemned the renewed violence, saying it had caused civilian deaths and injuries. The ministry called on security and judicial institutions to urgently investigate the incident and prosecute anyone found to have incited or participated in the violence.
The ministry also urged traditional elders, religious scholars, women, youth, intellectuals and regional officials to support reconciliation efforts and prevent further bloodshed.
The fighting caused significant loss of life and property damage, officials and residents said. Stabilization efforts and talks between the communities were continuing.
Local analysts criticized the Northeastern administration for failing to prevent the escalation, but said elders and religious scholars helped separate the fighting groups and return them to their original locations.
About the Author
Osman Hassan is a Senior Editor at the Somali Report based in Nairobi with over 15 years of experience in journalism. He has worked with local and international media outlets in Somalia and is an award-winning journalist. His reporting focuses on politics, security, and regional affairs in the Horn of Africa.