Dozens die in clashes in central Somalia

Clashes between two warring militias in central Somalia have killed at least 29 people and injured more than 50 others, officials said Monday. The renewed fighting comes barely a week after the United Arab Emirates brokered a peace agreement between the two groups.

Fighting between the Putland and Galmudug state forces began Sunday as the two groups traded heavy gunfire and mortar in the divided city of Galkayo. The Putland forces govern the northern part of the state, while the Galmudug forces govern the south.

The fighting killed several soldiers on both sides and some civilians. Mahad Ali Mohammed, a journalist with a Galmudug radio station, was struck and killed during the crossfire on his way to work.

“Bullets hit him in the head,” the station’s manager, Hanad Abdi Farah, told Reuters. “It was in the morning and he was [coming] from home and heading to the radio station.”

Last week, some Somali leaders met for peace talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and agreed to an immediate ceasefire. The deal required the warring forces to withdraw from the disputed area and for people who fled from the conflict to return peacefully. But no side has claimed responsibility for triggering the renewed conflict.

“Putland military forces were attacked for the 14th time by Galmudug forces, a clear sign of lack of commitment to peace and previous agreements by their administration,” the Putland government said in a statement.

The mayor of Galkayo south, Hirsi Yusuf Barre, told Reuters the Putland forces entered the southern region and attacked people with shells and bullets.

Somalia’s civil war has continued for 25 years. Several Islamist extremist groups such as al-Qaeda continue to hinder efforts to restore peace. The fighting in Galkayo already has killed dozens of people and displaced about 80,000 others.

Michael Keating, special representative of the UN secretary general in Somalia, last week lauded the ceasefire deal as a positive step in restoring peace to Galkayo. Following the renewed fighting, Keating warned violating the peace deal would only cause more suffering for people in the region and create an atmosphere for extremists to exploit.

“I remain confident that a lasting solution to this long-running conflict can be found if all parties act in good faith,” Keating said in a statement.