A special meeting was held in Marka city, the capital of Lower Shabelle region, to discuss the city’s security and political situation, with the meeting reported to have produced three points related to the forces and administration that self-declared as “Koonfur Bari” (Southeast).
The meeting is reported to have taken place between some of Marka district’s traditional elders, officers from the Gorgor and National Guard forces who arrived in the city, and the district’s NISA command.
According to information circulated about the meeting, focus was placed on how to resolve the situation arising from the presence of the Koonfur Bari forces and administration in the city.
The first point said to have come out of the meeting is that disarmament be carried out on all Koonfur Bari forces stationed in Marka district.
According to the information, this plan aims to collect weapons from those forces in order to reduce the number of armed personnel present inside the city, and to prevent a clash that could arise between the two sides.
The second point is that the Koonfur Bari administration vacate three important centers located in Marka city.
Among the centers said to be required to be vacated are the district headquarters, the base, and other centers important to the city’s administration and security.
This matter could be the most sensitive point of the reported agreement, since government centers are the most important places from which administration, security, and public services are run.
The third point is that Koonfur Bari’s forces be integrated into government forces, while Omar Ali, recognized as the leader of the Koonfur Bari administration, is reported to have his weapons specifically registered.
According to the information circulated, the three points were handed to the district’s traditional elders, who are said to be passing them on to Omarey Ali and other members of the Koonfur Bari administration.
This comes at a time when Marka city has, in recent times, experienced a political and security situation related to the Koonfur Bari administration.
Reports published in August 2026 said militias loyal to the Koonfur Bari administration entered Marka city, and took control of some of the important centers.
Other reports said the South West flag was taken down from some of the centers, and a flag carried by Koonfur Bari supporters was raised instead.
The Koonfur Bari administration had, in recent times, said it wants a new administration formed covering Lower Shabelle and other areas of southern Somalia.
In May 2026, meetings related to building that administration were held in Marka city, and local media reported that Omarey Ali Ahmed was elected as an interim leader.
The Federal Government of Somalia and the South West administration, for their part, do not recognize the Koonfur Bari administration as an official federal member state within the country’s federal system.
According to earlier reports, the federal government and South West viewed the matter as something that needs to be resolved through the constitutional system and political dialogue.
If the disarmament point is implemented, it could change the way the various forces are positioned within Marka city.
The Gorgor and National Guard units are components of the Somali federal armed forces, whereas the South-East forces are loyal to the newly declared administration operating in parts of Lower Shabelle.
Consequently, disarming the South-East forces or integrating them into the official state security apparatus represents an effort to establish a unified security architecture within Marka, replacing the volatile coexistence of rival armed factions operating under separate chains of command.
However, the implementation of this plan will hinge entirely on the response of the South-East leadership and their allied fighters.
Current reports do not confirm whether the South-East administration has formally accepted the three proposed provisions.
The role of traditional elders is particularly pivotal in this dynamic.
As outlined in the meeting’s details, the elders have been tasked with delivering the three conditions directly to Cumarey Ali and other key figures of the South-East administration.
This highlights an ongoing preference among the convening parties to pursue resolution through negotiation and mediation rather than immediate armed confrontation.
Marka, a strategically significant coastal city in Lower Shabelle, has increasingly become a focal point for political and security friction.
Consequently, any definitive settlement reached in the city will carry broad implications for the stability of the entire region.
Previous reports indicated that South-East supporters in Marka had engaged in high-profile demonstrations of authority for the nascent administration, with armed groups seizing control of the district headquarters, the central police station, and other vital public installations.
Another report published by Radio Daljir in August indicated that local militias had seized control of the city and carried out activities there intended to demonstrate the presence of the South-East administration.
Meanwhile, news circulating in local media stated that government officials and politicians had previously threatened to take action against individuals accused of organizing the South-East administration.
These matters show that the situation in Marka is not limited solely to a military issue, but also involves disputes concerning governance, state authority, and who controls the city’s key facilities.