Somalia is deeply divided between rival clans and much of it under the control of the Islamist insurgency group Al-Shabaab [Getty]
Fighters loyal to an ousted state leader in southern Somalia clashed with troops on Saturday in the city of Baidoa, resulting in several casualties, witnesses and security sources said.
The fighting, in the main city of Somalia’s South West State, followed the army’s ouster in March of the state’s president, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen.
“Armed elements entered the city with the intention of creating instability and disorder” but were repelled by security forces, Baidoa’s police chief, Sadiq Dudishe, told a news conference. He said calm had been restored.
A military commander, Hussein Ali, told AFP that his forces counted “approximately six bodies of the attackers”, whom he described as “young men who were misled and exploited by politicians”.
A local resident, Mohamud Ibrahim, told AFP by telephone: “I saw the bodies of four combatants, and two civilians who were struck by stray bullets.”
He said the the fighters loyal to Laftagareen had briefly seized control of certain districts of the city before withdrawing.
Local authorities said the attack happened as preparations were being made to swear in newly elected members of the state’s legislature, following votes that took place on 10 May.
Laftagreen had opposed a reform of Somalia’s constitution that was adopted in early March.
The changes extend the mandate of the country’s president from four to five years and introduce universal suffrage for lawmakers, who previously had been appointed by an indirect system influenced by clans.
The mandate of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ended on 15 May with no agreement on the holding of elections to choose a successor.
Somalia’s government said it is in a “transition period”.
Mohamud has been attempting to move Somalia towards democratic elections, replacing a system based around clan elders.
But with the country deeply divided between rival clans and much of it under the control of Al-Shabaab, an Islamist insurgent group, there has been little progress on organising elections beyond a few localised pockets.
