MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s federal government troops have taken control of the strategic border town of Balad Hawo in Gedo region following a week of intense clashes with troops loyal to the semi-autonomous Jubaland administration, officials said on Wednesday.
The fighting, which lasted six days, saw government troops led by Abdirashid Janan—the regional commander of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA)—seize key installations, including the police station, district headquarters, and other government buildings.
Dozens of civilians and combatants are reported to have been killed in the violence, which also displaced thousands of residents who fled across the border into Kenya’s Mandera County.
Speaking in a video address late on Wednesday, Janan confirmed that federal forces were in full control of the town. He extended condolences to the people of Balad Hawo for the loss of life and destruction, placing blame for the conflict on Jubaland authorities. He urged residents who had fled the fighting to return home, assuring them that security and public services would be restored.
The clashes erupted last week after Janan arrived by helicopter at a military base outside the town, accompanied by a second helicopter reportedly carrying weapons and senior officials.
Telecommunications and electricity services, which had been cut off during the fighting, have now been restored. A local journalist speaking to Universal Somali TV said the week-long disruption had left residents unable to use mobile money services or contact relatives within or outside the town.
The conflict is part of a broader power struggle between Somalia’s federal government in Mogadishu and Jubaland authorities over control of Gedo region. Tensions have simmered since the controversial re-election of Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe last year—a vote the federal government deemed unconstitutional and illegitimate.
Tensions have also spread to other towns in Gedo region. This week, in the nearby border town of Dolow, Ethiopian troops launched a heavy assault on a base belonging to NISA, in support of Jubaland forces. The attack destroyed a weapons depot and led to the capture of intelligence commanders and soldiers, effectively dismantling federal government-aligned units in the area.
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