MOGADISHU, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Relative peace has been restored in central Somalia's Galmudug State after inter-clan skirmishes over the weekend that claimed more than 60 lives, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
Abshir Abdi Shikhow, Galmudug's minister of information, linked the fighting between militias from the two rival clans to a dispute over grazing land and water.
Shikhow added that the deadly fighting between the Dir and Marihan clans, which began on Saturday, has left more than 70 people injured.
"As the Galmudug government, we have successfully ended the fighting and separated the militias," Shikhow told Xinhua over the phone, adding that security has been beefed up in the conflict zone.
He said the severely injured have been transferred to Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, for specialized treatment, while blaming the al-Shabab militants for instigating the inter-clan violence in the Galmudug area.
Ahmed Abdi Karie, president of Galmudug State, has appointed a five-member committee comprising senior officials from the ministries of interior, finance, religious affairs, and information to negotiate for peace between the fighting clans. ■
