/ 1 January 2002

Rival Somali gunmen call it quits

Rival armed groups withdrew their forces from a district in the north of the Somali capital on Thursday, after signing a ceasefire in the wake of two days of deadly clashes, elders said.

At least 17 people were killed in the fighting in Fagah, which pitted gunmen from rival sub-clans of the Abgal clan and raged on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Some 38 people were reported to have been wounded in the clashes, the exact causes of which were unclear.

The agreement, mediated by Abgal politician Hussein Haji Bod, was signed by elders representing the two sides.

”It is a great achievement if we are able to succeed to stop bloodshed. Innocent people lost their lives since hostilities erupted in the Fagah area of north Mogadishu,” Bod said.

He thanked the elders of the warring sides for their patience and commitment to peace.

As the agreement was announced the area was demilitarised but sporadic gunfire could still be heard, an AFP journalist who reached Fagah said.

Some residents were seen returning to their homes in the area. – Sapa-AFP