At least four people, including two civilians, were killed Thursday (December 30) in Somalia in a raid by Shebab rebels on a town near the capital Mogadishu, police said. This attack comes in the midst of a political crisis in this unstable country in the Horn of Africa, where the standoff between the president and the prime minister has further increased tension in recent days.
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Armed assailants on Thursday attacked Balcad, about 30 km north of Mogadishu, police and witnesses said. “Terrorists attacked Balcad early this morning, targeting checkpointsLocal police officer Abdullahi Mohamed told AFP on Thursday, adding that two members of the security forces and two civilians were killed. “The situation is now back to normal and government forces are in full controlThe city, he added. Witnesses said that Shabab fighters managed to enter parts of the city, located on a road connecting Mogadishu to the rest of the country, before being driven back.
“There was intense fighting but the fighters then withdrew and the situation is calm now.”Said a resident, Hussein Abdikarin. Another witness, Shamso Ali, said he was awakened by large explosions and the sounds of machine guns as the rebels entered the town. “We were shocked to see this but thank God we stayed inside our homes until the fight was over“, he said. The attack was claimed by the shebab in a statement.
Shebab insurrection since 2007
Tensions between President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, alias Farmajo, and Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble are recurrent but the recent escalation raises fears for the stability of this fragile country. Farmajo first on Saturday withdrew from his prime minister the responsibility of organizing the elections expected since the beginning of the year, then “suspendedMonday by accusing him of being involved in a corruption case. Mohamed Hussein Roble replied on Monday, accusing the president of seeking to commit “a coup“.
As the first step in Somalia’s long and complex electoral process, elections for the upper house of parliament have been concluded in all states except Galmudug. Those in the lower house were supposed to end in December, but only a fraction of the 275 seats have so far been allocated. The appointment of a president, some ten months after the end of Farmajo’s mandate, should be the last step.
Many observers believe that the crisis at the top of the state and the electoral stalemate are distracting attention from more important issues facing Somalia, such as the jihadist insurgency of the Shebab which has shaken the country since 2007. Although ousted from Mogadishu by force of the African Union (Amisom) in 2011, the shebab still control large rural areas and regularly carry out attacks in the capital. Rebels claimed responsibility last month for a car bomb explosion that killed eight people in Mogadishu. In September, they claimed responsibility for two attacks that left a total of 17 dead.