The Battle of Kismayo began on August 20, 2008 when Islamist al-Shabaab

Al-Shabaab (Somalia)

Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen , more commonly known as al-Shabaab , is a terrorist group of militants fighting to overthrow the government of Somalia. As of 2011, the group controls large swathes of the southern parts of Somalia, where it is said to have imposed its own strict form of Sharia law...

 and Islamic Courts Union (ICU) fighters began an offensive to conquer the Southern Somali port of Kismayo from pro-government militias. Three days of fighting reportedly killed 89 people and injured 207 more. Al-Shabaab took the town on August 22.

Background

Al-Shabab, fighting as part of the Islamic Courts Union, was driven out of Kismayo in January 2007 after Ethiopian forces rolled into Somalia to back the interim government in the fight to take control of much of central and southern Somalia. According to Interim Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf, Kismayo was subsequently not under the Ethiopian-backed transitional government's control, and there were no Ethiopian forces in the area at the time of the battle; clan militias in Kismayo claimed to be part of the government, however. In the months prior to the battle, Kismayo was considered peaceful in comparison to Mogadishu

Mogadishu

Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....

, the capital.

Fighting

Marehan

Marehan

The Marehan are a Somali clan. They are one of the major Darod sub-clans, forming a part of the Sade confederation of clans. The majority of the Marehan live in the Jubbada Hoose, Gedo and Jubbada Dhexe regions in southwestern Somalia, as well as the Galguduud and Mudug regions in central...

 clan militias, led by warlord-turned-parliamentarian Barre Hirale, suffered heavy losses, and Hirale's personal car was reportedly seized by Islamist fighters. According to witnesses, August 22 saw the most intense fighting, with both sides using a lot of heavy guns including anti-aircraft guns.

Aftermath

The fighting in Kismayo is reported to have displaced an estimated 35,000 people. After the withdrawal of Hiiraale's fighters, Al-Shabaab commenced a peaceful disarmament process targeting local armed groups that had been contributing to insecurity in Kismayo. In early September a night-time curfew was imposed.

A new district administration was established on 6 September 2008. Its members reportedly represented the ICU and Al-Shabaab (three members each) plus a local clan (one member) which had played a part in the military assault. The legitimacy of the administration was later disputed, however, as the ICU and elders from local clans alleged that Al-Shabaab had not consulted them adequately.