President Farmajo urges end to wars in northern parts of the country

President Farmajo greeting citizens during his visit to the northern city of Garowe on January 7, 2018.

MOGADISHU—Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed “Farmajo” called on warring communities in the northern region of the country “to resolve their differences through dialogue and respect the sanctity of life.”

Both the UN and the US also appealed for an “immediate” end to the conflict in that region, which has escaped much of the lawlessness that racked southern parts of the nation.

Dozens of people were reportedly killed on Tuesday in clashes that occurred in Tukaraq town, a flashpoint between the northeastern and northwestern regional administrations, which are mainly populated by the Majerten and Isaq sub-clans respectively.

However, majority of the residents in Tukaraq, which is in Sool region, hails from the Dul-Bahante sub-clan that is related with the Majerten but a great deal of its influentials is politically allied with the Isaq. The Dulbahante members have fought on both sides of Tuesday’s clashes.

“The hostilities in Tukaraq must cease immediately, it has already caused death and damage, it is senseless and must stop,” President Farmajo’s office said in a statement, referring to the area where the warring communities clashed on Tuesday.

The UN “emphasizes the enormous risks posed by the fighting. These range from the possible displacement of tens of thousands of people – at a time when humanitarian needs are already outstripping available funds – to fuelling instability and discord, which support the objectives of violent extremists,” said the UN envoy for Somalia, Michael Keating, in a statement.

The UN called for “an immediate cessation of hostilities,” urging “both sides to engage in dialogue to work towards a ceasefire and political agreement.”

The US mission to Somalia has also appealed for an “immediate ceasefire,” while at the same time asking local leaders to partner with their communities to end the conflict.

Earlier this year, forces from the northwestern administration wrested control of Tukaraq from its neighbor, the northeastern region. The town — which is about 45 miles from the seat of the northeastern administration, Garowe — has ever since remained tense and both communities continued to amass troops near it.

Although each regional administration wants to expand into the other’s territory, yet the nature of the current conflict is mainly economic. The party that controls the town, which is a crucial transit hub, can rake in tens of thousands of dollars in taxes from commercial vehicles passing through it and heading to Ethiopia and to the interior parts of Somalia, especially to the northeastern and northwestern regions.

President Farmajo has also urged the warring sub-clans in El-Afweyne, the second largest city of the Sanaag region, to coexist in harmony. The El Afweyne conflict is between Habar Yonis and Habar Je’el sub-clans of Isaq and is largely over pastures and land.

“President Farmajo is saddened by the loss of life in these clashes and sends condolences to the families of those who lost kin and prays for quick recovery of the wounded,” the Blue House said in the statement. President Farmajo is now in Doha, Qatar, where he signed a memorandum of understanding with the Gulf state for cooperation in the health sector.

Warring parties on Tuesday accused each other of instigating the war, with each side saying it defeated the other. There were, however, no independent reports from the front-lines to confirm the veracity of their conflicting claims.