Somalia troops last week engaged in a turf war for the control of Bula Hawa, a town close to the Kenyan border in Gedo region, with the two levels of government trading blame for the clashes.

The fighting began on Monday, when two military helicopters carrying senior security officials, including Abdirashid Hassan Abdinur — also known locally as Abdirashid Janan — a former Jubbaland security minister, landed in the town.

Janan has since been appointed by the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) as head of intelligence for the Gedo region.

His arrival sparked a clash between Jubbaland forces and the FGS troops, who would normally fight alongside each other against Al-Shabaab.

After the violence escalated throughout Friday, a mortar was fired into a civilian residential area. The FGS accused Jubbaland leader Ahmed Islam Madobe of launching attacks on Somali troops.

In a statement, the Internal Security ministry accused Madobe of ordering “militia attacks on the national army bases and civilian areas in Balad-Hawo, leading to civilian casualties.”

Mogadishu described the attacks as “as part of a broader effort by Madobe to expand his criminal activities and destabilise Jubbaland, particularly in Gedo.”

Accordingly, the ministry said it would hold Madobe responsible for the atrocities.

The Jubbaland government termed the mortar attack as an example of “massacres” orchestrated by Somali forces, and the forcible displacement of civilians.

In its statement, Jubbaland said the mortars, “deliberately struck innocent civilians, providing clear evidence of a malicious plan intentionally targeting non-combatants.”

“This heinous attack resulted in the deaths of two civilians, who were struck while inside their homes, and also caused injuries to several others,” Jubbaland State House said on Friday.

The clashes have amplified the bad blood between Jubbaland and Mogadishu, which could hinder their collaboration in addressing security threats.

Janan was once imprisoned by Mogadishu over alleged “crimes against humanity” in the Gedo region. In 2020, he was Jubbaland’s strongman against Mogadishu.

But his return to Gedo this week as a national government official signalled a shift in relations with Mogadishu, which “pardoned” him.

Fears in Mandera

On Friday, some residents of Mandera in Kenya reported that relatives of theirs had fled the now volatile Gedo region.

“I am hosting two families of 12 people in my small compound, said Saadia Sheikh, a resident of Mandera. “They are my relatives living in Bula Hawa and the fighting and the continued fear has made them run away.”

Mandera county police commander Robinson Ndiwa said the Kenyan security agencies had sealed off the common border with Somalia.

“We are not allowing anybody to our side. The border the closed for our own safety,” he told The EastAfrican.

According to Mr Ndiwa, at least five people within Mandera were hit by stray bullets fired from the Bula Hawa side.

“Tension remains high on the other side of the border as we continue to observe the situation from our side,” Mr Ndiwa said.

He added that the border closure is also to ward off Al Shabaab.

Adan Omar, a taxi operator in Mandera town, said the clashes had disrupted business between Mandera and Bula Hawa.

“I have been counting losses since Tuesday. I have daily customers between Mandera and Bula Hawa, but now nobody is crossing the border,” he said.

Mandera relies on Gedo for supplies of tax-free goods from the Kismayu port.

“My shop is running out of stock because of the tension in the Gedo region. Lorries supplying goods are stuck due to fighting and tension,” a wholesaler in Mandera town said.

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