Renewed fighting in Garowe

At least four people were killed and four others wounded when fighting broke out in Garowe, the regional capital of the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, a local journalist told IRIN on Monday.

The fighting, which broke out on Friday, appears to have started after a prominent businessman, Farah Muhammad Sa'id Gom'ad, was reportedly killed by forces of Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf, the former leader of Puntland, in what is believed to have been "a deliberate attack" at 1700 hours [local time]", the journalist said. There were four people in the car in which he was travelling. It was reportedly stopped by Yusuf's militia "who then shot Gom'ad dead". "He was a well-known man, and they could not have mistaken him for anyone else. It must have been preplanned," the journalist added.

Three more people died when local militia, angered by the murder, attacked positions held by Yusuf's militia in the town, at 1730. Two local militia and one from Yusuf's militia were killed in that bout of fighting, according to the journalist.

The violence erupted following the arrival in Garowe, on Friday morning, of Sultan Sa'id Garaase, an influential local elder, along with 17 other clan elders and intellectuals. Sultan Garaase, and his group had, upon arrival, issued a call to Abdullahi Yusuf to leave Garowe, local sources told IRIN.

Garowe was calm on Monday, even though tension remained high, the sources said. Businesses, which shut their doors over the weekend, had now now reopened.

Traditional elders from the Garowe area were meeting and were expected to issue a statement on Tuesday. "Everyone is waiting for the outcome of the elders' meeting," the sources added.