BREAKING NEWS troops move closer to Kismayo, dispute unresol

[Hiiraan boy]

KISMAYO, Somalia Apr 29 (Garowe Online) - Hundreds of Somali government troops accompanying the governor and city mayor had approached the outskirts of Kismayo, military sources said.

Military contacts told Garowe Online on the condition of anonymity that the troops were heading back to Kismayo following last week’s withdrawal.

At least 16 people died last Monday when government soldiers clashed amongst themselves and quickly divided along clan lines, forcing the city administration and some troops to retreat.

There were worrying signs that the military buildup around Kismayo might lead to another deadly clash, even though Interior Minister Mohamed “Gamodheere” Mohamud told reporters that the conflict had been resolved.

Gamodheere led a federal government delegation to the port town and has been holding meetings with representatives from both sides.

Elders and politicians representing the Marehan clan militias who control Kismayo agreed with Gamodheere to return weapons seized after the one-day battle.

But the commanders whose troops were ousted from the city last week have refused to return until the clan militias are first disarmed.

There was confusion amongst the populace on Sunday as operations resumed at the port of Kismayo, apparently by order from the visiting interior minister.

How can the government reopen the port before the conflict is fully settled, some residents wondered.

Independent sources said Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi is dissatisfied with Interior Minister Gamodheere’s diplomatic efforts at reaching a peaceful resolution and has disagreed with concessions given to the clan militias in Kismayo.

Following Monday’s clashes, Premier Gedi linked the clan militias with insurgents waging war on his government in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

Observers say the conflict in Kismayo is essentially the continuation of a power struggle between various Darod sub-clans who battled for control of the strategic port town throughout the 1990s.