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Situation in Somali Capital Returns to Normal
The situation resumed normal Friday after a day of heavy fighting between the rival subclans of Wa'aysleh and Warsangeli both belonging to the main Abgal clan around the busy Suq-Ba'ad market in north Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
According to hospital sources, at least 15 people were killed and more than 40 others wounded during the fighting which started Thursday afternoon and continued until the early hours of last evening.
Apart from the losses of the human lives, the Suq-Ba'ad market, the second largest in Mogadishu, has also suffered a serious blow during the fighting. The entire wards of jewelry, exchange ward, the clothing and cosmetics departments have all caught fire while the fuel section has also suffered some damage even though it was put off immediately.
The smoke gushing out of the market could be seen last night at every corner of the capital. There's no one who can make a real assessment of the wealthy destroyed as a result of the fire, but according to the businessmen, millions of U.S. dollars worth of properties were destroyed.
In early Thursday evening, Prime Minister of the Transitional National Government Ali Khalif Gallaydh has summoned the interior minister, the governor of Mogadishu and several other key members of the government and members of parliament for an emergency meeting over how the government would cope with the crises.
Gallaydh had also put all of the government forces into full alert. After extensive indoor talks, the government officials have decided to use all means to stop the fighting.
The government has dispatched over 20 battle wagons and more than 300 strong and well armed forces from the recently established quick reaction force, who were based in the main soccer stadium of Mogadishu to intervene into the situation.
The government forces have forcefully separated the warring sides at a time when the exchange of the heavy gunfire continued. According to the commander of Mogadishu's police force, Colonel Abdi Hassan Awaleh Qeybdid, one of his policemen was killed and another one suffered gunshot wounds during the operation in which they separated the warring clan-based militias.
Early in the morning before dawn Friday, the shooting was heard throughout the capital.
After the ceasefire is assured, the second move will be to call the elders from the warring sides for a meeting so as to settle the dispute, which sparked off the fighting.
The fighting between the two sides relates to the death of two men killed by Warsangeli gunmen in the natural port of El-Ma'an four days ago.
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