Peace Deal Signed Between Balanballe and Guriceel Clans in Galmudug

GOOBJOOG NEWS | BALANBALLE: Rival clans from the Galmudug towns of Balanballe and Guriceel have signed an eight-point peace agreement aimed at ending years of conflict, in a deal witnessed by Somalia’s prime minister during a visit to the region on Monday.

Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre attended a ceremony in Balanballe where clan elders Ugas Mohamed Ugas Kayse and Ugas Hassan Ugas Hassan formally signed the agreement before residents, traditional leaders, community elders and young people from the two areas.

The agreement brings together communities that have been involved in a prolonged conflict and sets out commitments intended to end the hostilities and prevent renewed violence.

PM Barre welcomed the agreement, saying the commitment shown by the two sides provided grounds for lasting reconciliation.

“The commitment of both sides to genuinely reconcile is clear,” Barre said, adding that the communities had agreed to resolve any future disputes through Islamic law.

He also referred to provisions in the agreement dealing with accountability for serious offences, including a commitment that a person who kills another would face qisas, or retributive justice, under the terms agreed by the parties.

The prime minister described the deal as consistent with the federal government’s efforts to promote what it calls a “reconciled Somalia,” saying the end of the conflict could create conditions for lasting peace, economic activity and improved delivery of government services.

The agreement is significant for communities in an area where prolonged clan disputes have disrupted social and economic life and complicated efforts to expand state services and local administration.

During his visit to Balanballe, Hamza also laid the foundation stones for a school intended for children orphaned during the inter-clan fighting, a Peace House and a sports stadium.

He also attended a ceremony marking the completion of training for a group of security personnel who are expected to join Somalia’s national security forces.

The prime minister was accompanied during the visit by Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Karie Qoor Qoor, National Intelligence and Security Agency Director Mahad Mohamed Salad, federal ministers and lawmakers, as well as local officials and community representatives.

The Balanballe agreement comes as federal and regional authorities continue to rely on traditional reconciliation efforts alongside formal government institutions to resolve local conflicts and strengthen stability in parts of central Somalia.