Mogadishu (PP News Desk) — Somali federal forces and South West State security forces clashed in Baraawe yesterday due to a jurisdictional dispute. An X (Twitter) Space Live Conversation tonight on the situation in Baraawe highlighted several divergent views
1. Some participants suggested that the presence of mono-clan army contingents in the area indicates the protection of illegally occupied clan fiefdoms.
2. A discussant alleged that the South West State Administration dispatched forces to destabilise Baraawe and disadvantage certain social groups in the Lower Shabelle region.
3. There were assertions that the South West Administration disenfranchises certain groups, such as Hintire to which Professor Dalha belongs. Dalha attributed the plight of the Lower Shabelle people to disunity within the South West State elites as well as security challenges posed by Al-Shabaab. “There are IDP camps for the Lower Shabelle people in Mogadishu to dissuade them from farming” Dalha said.
4. Dr. Amir argued that British geopolitical interests contribute to fuelling the conflict in Baraawe, pointing out that the UK Government allocates to the South West State a significant portion of its assistance to Somalia.
5. The cultural and historical heritage of Baraawe, along with the region’s significant contributions to independence movements, reflect the civilisation and gallantry documented in the long history of the Lower Shabelle people. The sedentary culture of the locals highlights their resilience and bravery. The region has also served as a host to Somali nomads, whom the revolutionary government resettled in its agricultural and coastal districts due to Dabadheer drought. Peaceful co-existence, justice and accountability are the path to a bright future in the Lower Shabelle, the breadbasket of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Two of the historic coastal districts in Lower Shabelle were founded by Banadir clans who are not represented in the South West State of Somalia.
© Puntland Post, 2024