Tuesday May 6, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Two Somali herders were killed Tuesday morning in a suspected clan-motivated attack near Matabaan district in central Somalia, raising fears of renewed inter-clan violence in the region.
The victims, identified as Bashir Ganey and his uncle, Ali Dahir Roble, were tending livestock when they were ambushed by armed men. Both were residents of the Hiiraan region and had brought their animals to graze in the rural outskirts of Matabaan.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants came from Guriceel, a district in the neighbouring Galgadud region. The attackers fled the scene before authorities could respond, and no arrests have been made.
Local sources suggest the killings are linked to an ongoing clan dispute fueled by territorial grievances and past unresolved conflicts between communities living along the Hiran-Galgadud border. Similar incidents in recent years have centred around grazing land and water access.
Residents in the area reported a sharp rise in tensions following the attack, with elders warning that violence could escalate if mediation efforts are not launched swiftly. Authorities in Matabaan have not yet issued an official statement.