Adversaries turn friends - Classic example of Somali conflict

In my early days reporting for Reuters in Somalia, I remember hearing two militiamen saying how they missed each others head in a battle field earlier that morning when they disrupted our sleep with barrages of mortar bombs, heavy artilery and bursts of automatic fire. The same afternoon, as we sat outside my office sipping sweet Somali tea, two adversaries who fought against each other earlier "Warya, did you see how I missed your head by inches?" quipped one of the militiamen. His supposed victim's response was even colder, like in thriller movies. "Was that you? - Ooh my, I think my shot also whizzed past you as well. You lucky enemy you nearly took me out!" They then laughed it off and immediately changed their topic of discussion to speak about business as if nothing happened! Well that is Somalia for. Recently, the Federal Government in Mogadishu dispatched hundreds of troops to Somalia's southern-most fishing town of Ras Kamboni bordering Kenya, to go and fight and probably 'topple' Jubaland President Ahmed Madoobe. Madoobe did not wait, he also sent his forces to go and recapture the town after the Jubaland officials and forces stationed there switched sides and joined the Federal government side. A brief fighting ensued between the two forces. Jubaland troops overan the town and recaptured it including taking over prisoners of war from the Federal government. Some soldiers reportedly fled to Kenya where they were disarmed by Kenyan forces and given assylum. Jubaland State went out of their way to hand over the Federal forces it captured as prisoners of war back to the Federal government. Moments before the Federal forces boarded a plan back to Mogadishu, they hugged, kissed and forgave each before bidding farwel to one another. These are forces who just a few days ago fought and killed each other. That is Somalia for you! Conflicts are not permanent and todays adversaries can be friends then next minute. Some of the soldiers who spoke urged politicians to stop politicising the military. Abdizak Rashid Farah, is a soldier in the dreaded Gorgor Unit did not mince his words. "We were deployed here to fight and take over Jubaland. We attacked a peaceful Jubaland State in an areas that was long liberated from Al-Shabaab and was peaceful but we attacked it in order to annex it. I wish other soldiers will learn from us and what happened here and going forward no military officers should never accept to be used for political gains," Farah said moments before flying back to Mogadishu. His comrade at arms Ahmed Mohamed Yusuf also reiterated the same. "I had come here to fight with Jubaland but now after we were captured they treated us very well by the soldiers and there is no ill blood between us we are happy and at peace with each other," Yusuf added.