20 October 2021 – Liban Hassan
It has been one week since the government and Galmudug forces started heading towards Guri’el town in Galgadud region.
The two forces are planning to oust Ahlu Sunna forces, which took control of the town without a fight on January 1st.
The troops are reportedly in a place not far from Tuulo Sadiq, which they reached in recent days. The village is located on the road between Guri’el and El dhere, some 30km south of Dhusamareb.
Ahlu Sunna forces are suspected to be close to the areas where the troops are traveling.
Ahlu Sunna forces can be seen inside the town of Guri El and on the roads leading to it, as well as setting up fortifications on the outskirts of the town.
The prospect of conflict Guri’el has forced most residents to flee their homes, reaching the remote countryside of Guri’el. Furthermore education and business in the city have also been disrupted due to people fleeing fighting.
Abdulkadir Jama Tarabi, one of the principals of school in Guri’el, said “the crisis in the region will have a major impact on the role of Galmudug students in the Federal Government’s Certificate Examinations.” The conflict between Ahlu Sunna forces and allied Federal Government and Galmudug forces has had a profound impact on the live of Guri’el residents, especially students how are set to sit national examinations.
There are about 40 schools, with tens of thousands of students in Guri’el and its environs, and the main concern is the lack of security in the region. Education officials are concerned about the impact of the conflict on education, “Although there is a short period of time when education is on hold, what worries us is that we do not know when this conflict will end,” Abdulkadir Jama Tarabi told the BBC.
Galmudug traditional elders have long warned of tensions in the region, with some calling for talks to end, but their calls appear to have been ignored, although Ahlu Sunna leaders have said they are ready for talks with Galmudug. and war does not want to be forced.
Representatives of the international community who spoke to President Qoor Qoor yesterday advised him to do everything possible to avoid fighting in Galmudug, especially in the town of Gur’el, warning that if war breaks out it will affect many areas, the country’s first electoral process.