MOGADISHU – A young Somali doctor was shot dead in the central town of Galkayo in a suspected clan revenge killing, residents and officials told HAN on Wednesday.
The victim, Dr. Omar Abdi Dahir, was killed late Tuesday by unidentified gunmen. He is the second doctor to be slain in Galkayo in recent months in similar circumstances.
“Dr. Omar was a young professional who had dedicated his life to helping people. His killing is a tragedy for the community,” said one medical colleague who requested anonymity for security reasons.
Clan revenge attacks, known locally as aano qabiil, are common in Galkayo, a divided city straddling the border between the Puntland and Galmudug regional states. Despite repeated peace initiatives, tit-for-tat killings continue to claim dozens of lives each year.
Witnesses said Dr. Omar was targeted because of his clan affiliation, despite not being involved in the conflict himself. His murder has sparked outrage among residents, who warned that the cycle of violence is driving away educated professionals.
“Doctors and other educated youth are being killed because of clan hostilities. This city is losing its brightest minds,” said a civil society activist in Galkayo.
Authorities in Puntland confirmed an investigation was under way but said no arrests had been made.
Somalia has long struggled with insecurity fueled by clan rivalries, weak governance and an Islamist insurgency led by Al-Shabaab. Analysts say revenge killings pose a major threat to reconciliation efforts, particularly in the volatile Mudug region where Galkayo town is located.
