Somalia Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has witnessed the signing of a historic peace agreement between communities from Balanballe and Guriceel districts in the Galmudug region, bringing a formal end to years of clan conflict that had affected the neighbouring communities.
The eight-point agreement was signed on Monday, October 5, 2026, during a reconciliation ceremony in Balanballe attended by traditional leaders, elders, residents, young people and senior government officials.
The agreement was signed publicly by the two communities’ traditional leaders, Ugaas Mohamed Ugaas Kayse and Ugaas Hassan Ugaas Hassan, in the presence of Prime Minister Hamza, Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Karie Qoor Qoor, federal ministers, lawmakers and other local leaders.
The deal is intended to end the longstanding hostilities and establish a basis for peaceful coexistence between the communities. The specific contents of all eight provisions have not been publicly detailed in the reports announcing the agreement.
Speaking during the ceremony, Hamza welcomed what he described as the genuine commitment shown by both sides towards reconciliation, urging the communities to uphold their promises and resolve future disputes through agreed mechanisms.
“The commitment of both sides to genuinely reconcile is clear,” the prime minister said, adding that the communities had agreed to resolve any violations of the agreement in accordance with Islamic Sharia law.
He further pointed to the agreement’s provisions on accountability for killings, saying a person who kills another would face qisas, the Islamic legal principle of retributive justice, under the terms agreed by the parties.
Hamza described the agreement as consistent with his administration’s reconciliation agenda, saying the end of hostilities could create conditions for lasting peace, economic activity and improved delivery of public services.
He also urged the communities to protect the agreement and ensure that the reconciliation process translates into lasting stability rather than a temporary pause in hostilities.
Hamza launches projects for conflict-affected community
Beyond witnessing the signing of the agreement, the prime minister used his visit to Balanballe to launch development initiatives intended to benefit residents affected by the conflict.
Hamza laid the foundation stone for a school intended for children orphaned during the inter-clan fighting, alongside projects for a House of Peace and a sports stadium in Balanballe.
The school project is particularly significant because it seeks to address the needs of children who lost parents during the violence, giving the reconciliation process a practical social dimension beyond the signing ceremony.
The House of Peace is also linked to efforts to strengthen reconciliation, while the planned stadium is expected to provide a recreational facility for young people in the area.