Fresh fighting between armed militias from the Biyamaal and Habargidir clans has erupted in villages around Janaale district in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region, leaving several people dead and injured amid a growing dispute over ownership of fertile farmland, according to elders from both communities.
The latest violence follows days of rising tensions over agricultural land in the Janaale area, where competing claims to banana plantations and surrounding farmland have intensified.
On 9 July, Biyamaal elders, women, and youth staged a protest in the KM50 area of Lower Shabelle, accusing members of the Hawiye clan—particularly the Habargidir and Abgaal sub-clans—of encroaching on what they described as ancestral Biyamaal land.
“Our farmlands are under attack. These are lands where our ancestors are buried and where our wells are located,” one elder, who identified himself only as Abdirahman, told protesters.
During the demonstration, protesters displayed copies of the Quran alongside AK-47 rifles, warning that if appeals through religion failed to stop what they described as land grabbing, they would defend their land by force.
Suspected Men Detained Over Alleged Land Grabbing
The protest came two days after Biyamaal militia members detained several individuals in the KM50 area whom they accused of surveying land for illegal acquisition.
The group reportedly included foreign nationals said to possess professional land surveying expertise.
The detainees were presented publicly on 8 July together with a vehicle, electricity generators, and surveying equipment.
Biyamaal elders alleged that the group had intended to survey land in the Deexda area, stretching between Marka, KM50, and the coastal areas of Jasiira and Gendershe—territory they claim has recently become the target of coordinated land seizures.
Fighting Spreads Around Janaale
Residents told Kaab TV that the fighting, which began on 4 July, continued for three consecutive days. They said Biyamaal fighters, responding to attacks they blamed on Habargidir militia, burned banana plantations in the Janaale area during the clashes.
Habargidir elders, however, accused Biyamaal fighters of attacking farms belonging to their community and said three people were killed in the violence.
Further clashes were reported on 6 July along the road between Janaale and the regional capital, Marka, as the conflict continued to spread.
The fighting has involved small arms as well as armed pickup trucks mounted with heavy machine guns.
The Federal Government of Somalia has not publicly commented on the clashes or announced any mediation efforts.
Meanwhile, sources close to both communities told Kaab TV that elders from the Biyamaal and Habargidir clans have separately sought mediation from Al-Shabaab, claiming they turned to the militant group after government authorities failed to intervene effectively.
The insecurity has disrupted farming and commercial activity in the Janaale area, with residents saying many farmers and traders are now unable to safely access agricultural land due to the ongoing violence.