Somalia
Somalia: 4 prisoners of war released as curfew imposed on Kismayo
8 May 8, 2007 - 7:21:44 PM
KISMAYO, Somalia May 8 (Garowe Online) - Four prisoners of war who were captured alive after a gun battle late last month were released on Tuesday, according to elders in the southern Somali coastal town of Madhawa.
Town elders said they transferred the POWs in a gesture of peace over to elders belonging to the men�s sub-clan, the Marehan.
Tensions between various Somali sub-clans have been high in Lower Jubba region since April 23 when government troops battled against each other over clan allegiances.
A group of soldiers belonging to the Marehan clan, of the larger Darod clan-family, took effective control of Kismayo after that bloody gunfight that killed more than 16 people.
The regional governor and city mayor, who belong to the other Darod sub-clans of Ogaden and Harti, respectively, withdrew from Kismayo along with troops belonging to the aforementioned sub-clans.
But clan relations worsened on April 30 when Marehan gunmen attacked Madhawa�s natural port, sparking a battle that killed 9 people including 3 local fighters belonging to the Harti clan, town elders said. [ Full story]
The POWs handed over to Marehan elders were captured during that gunfight by the locals, Madhawa elders said.
Meanwhile, the tense political standoff continues in Kismayo where the regional governor and city mayor have refused to return until Marehan militias are disarmed.
The deputy governor of Lower Jubba region, Ahmed Abdi �Sandheere,� chaired over a security meeting in Kismayo that resulted with the imposition of a nighttime curfew effective 9pm local time Tuesday.
Kismayo residents said armed men in military uniform were roaming city streets and ordering businesses to close early. Police officials said the curfew would be used to restore order after consecutive nights of killings and robberies.
There are growing concerns of a repeat clash between government troops in Kismayo and those who have setup camp in the outskirts of the city awaiting orders.
Source: Garowe Online
