3.43 Heavy fighting took place around Kismayo in early November 1998 as the Marehan SNF advanced on the city, held by General Morgan's SPM forces. 65 people were reportedly killed. Peace talks were held in Nairobi in November 1998 but many people fled Kismayo and further heavy fighting took place in December 1998, with Morgan retaining control of the city. It was reported in January 1999 that the Puntland administration had sent arms to Morgan's militia in Kismayo.
3.44 After several months of calm there were renewed clashes in Kismayo in May 1999 between SNF and Morgan's SPM forces. The SNF and allied Habr Gedir clan forces, grouped together as the Allied Somali Forces (ASF), attacked Kismayo in June 1999 and finally ousted General Morgan and his forces. 26 people reportedly died in fighting but calm was restored quickly after the ASF had assumed control. ASF fighters were removed from Kismayo and taken to designated areas outside the town. Colonel Ali Hashi Buraleh, one of the leaders of the ASF grouping, stated that the alliance was free of tribalism or factionalism. He appealed for outside aid for Kismayo, stating that the security of international aid workers would be safeguarded.
3.45 It was reported in April 2000 that Ethiopia was training 700 militiamen loyal to General Morgan in Waajid town, Bakool region. Some of the militiamen were driven out of Kismayo in 1999 and others were from Puntland. Reports suggest that the militiamen intend to attack Kismayo, which was taken from Morgan's forces in 1999.
3.46 A new administration for Kismayo was established in June 2001, consisting of an 11-member council drawn from the region's clan groups. The administration was set up by the Juba Valley Alliance (JVA), the grouping of Marehan, Ogadeni and Habr Gedir clans that, as the ASF, ousted General Morgan's forces from Kismayo in 1999. The new administration allied itself with the Transitional National Government in Mogadishu.
3.47 In early August 2001 General Morgan's forces briefly re-occupied Kismayo but JVA forces retook the city the following day with minimal effort. Later in August 2001 JVA forces moved inland to capture the town of Bu'aale in Middle Juba region, 200 km north of Kismayo, from General Morgan's forces.
