Wednesday January 5, 2022
Beledweyne (HOL) - The Commander of the 27th Division of the Somali National Army, General Ahmed Mohamed Alasow Taredishe, spoke about the recent fighting in the Qowlad area on the outskirts of Beledweyne between government forces, Hirshabelle and forces led by General Hud and Colonel Nur Dheere.
The commander said the Somali National Army started the fighting during an operation against Al-Shabaab.
"Somali national army (SNA) forces heading to operations (against al-Shabaab) were ambushed by (the rebel forces), and before that incident, there was also an attack against a convoy carrying the governor of the region. Therefore, I say, let political differences be resolved politically, and traditional elders should resolve things related to tradition."
He added that the 27th Division of the Somali National Army is trying to defuse tensions and that social media is playing a crucial role in fueling the crisis.
The statement from General Taredishe comes when the forces fighting the outskirts of Beledweyne are now inside Beledweyne, particularly in the Koshin neighbourhood. Traditional elders were able to secure a preliminary agreement on a ceasefire and the disbandment of the opposing forces.General Hud said on Monday that his militia was attacked first by the Hirshabelle forces.
The situation in Beledweyne has been calm for the past few hours, following clashes and protests that blocked most significant roads and led to the closure of nearly all business activity.