By HAN News Desk
MOGADISHU — Meanwhile, in the Lower Shabelle region, former Somali MP Professor Mohamed Omar Dalha has claimed that recent clashes in Walaweyn are being stirred up by individuals from outside the district.
Speaking in an interview with local media, Prof. Dalha said:
“Those who are instigating the clashes in Walaweyn are not the original inhabitants of the area. They have come from parts of the Hirshabeelle region.”
He warned that political actors and armed groups from neighbouring regions were manipulating clan differences for their own interests, risking further bloodshed and displacement.
Prof. Dalha, who has been active in peace and reconciliation efforts across Somalia, urged both federal and local authorities to intervene swiftly, emphasizing that the original residents of Walaweyn desire peace and stability.
Local sources report that the violence has left several people dead and forced families to flee their homes. Community elders have appealed for government action to prevent revenge attacks and restore law and order.
Analysts say the Walaweyn unrest underscores the ongoing fragility of local governance in southern Somalia, where resource competition and regional politics frequently overlap.
The Ministry of Interior and Federal Affairs has yet to comment on Prof. Dalha’s statement.
