The displaced people on the southern outskirts of Mogadishu are living in an increasingly insecure situation due to in-fighting and tension between radical Islamist groups
Al-Shabaab and Hizbu Islam have both exhibited the desire to expand their territories.

Most of the war displaced peoples from Mogadishu live on a strip of land between the city and Afgoye town, 30km south of the Somali capital. Indeed, the thousands of families are facing an increasingly uncertain situation as al-Shabaab fighters keep targeting more positions held by Hizbu Islam.

According to sources, which requested to remain anonymous due to fear of victimisation, the anxiety among the displaced is forcing them to prepare themselves for self defence.
Militias’ movements around the camps make the mobilisation more critical.

The same sources indicate that on Tuesday night, Hizbu Islam’s top brass that included the movement’s leader, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, militia commander Abdulkadir Komandos, political strategist Mussa Abdi Arale, and other members of the Shura (consultative council) and Fulinta (executive body), held a meeting at undisclosed site. The group is said to have rejected the motion of counter-attacking al-Shabaab.

Any resistance

However, the Hizbu Islam leaders are said to have adopted a self-defence strategy against the advancing al-Shabaab fighters.

Hizbu Islam is apparently reacting to series of advances made by al-Shabaab fighters against their loyalists in southern Somalia recently.

- Source unsited