Mother and six children killed in fire blaze by armed men over clan fights in Marka

Six children and their mother dead after their house was burnt down by armed people following days of clashes between two clashes.

The incidents happened Monday night at a village in the outskirt of Marka town of Lower Shabelle region.

The family members were identified as Khadija Mohamed Samow (the mother), Farhiya Sheikh Abdikadir Ga’al, Naima SheikhAbdikadir Ga’al, Ahmed Abdikadir Ga’al, Mulki Abdikadir Ga’al, Muzamil Abdikadir Ga’al, Noor Abdi Osman.

Confirming the incident, Marka District commissioner, Hassan Omar Moalim said the seven died after unknown armed from one of the clans in Lower Shaballe region descended on Jeebe, a village predominately inhabited by members of their rival clan and set fire on the house of this family.

He said the mother tried escaped with her youngest child but unfortunately they were engulfed by the flame.

The inter-clan skirmishes pitting two Somali clans took a nasty twist of burning each others’ settlements for the last one week as the government rushed to deploy soldiers to help restore calm in the troubled areas.

Sources say the arrival of the corpses of brutally killed people in another raid, which was brought to Marka town for burial, has sparked emotion leading to mourners to venting their anger on nearby villages, where the other clan member are the majority dwellers.

Marka town, which is the epicenter of the conflict pitting two Somali clans, has become a deserted town, as members of the rival clans left toward areas, which their community are majority to avoid been caught in retaliatory raids by marauding clan militia.

The two warring clans have over the years been fighting for supremacy and control of the district that has degenerated into clashes.

The clashes led to the government deploying a contingent of security personnel to quell the clashes mid last year.

Tension and conflict between the two clans have historically resulted from competition for natural resources, but recently the emerging tensions are attributed to political disagreements over governance issues.