Qoryoley (, , ) is a town in the

Lower Shebelle Lower Shabelle (, , , ) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia. Geography Lower Shabelle is bordered by the regions of Banaadir, Middle Shabelle (Shabeellaha Dhexe), Hiran, Bay, Middle Jubba (Jubbada Dhexe) and by the ...

region of the

South West State of Somalia The South-West State of Somalia (), ( Af-Maay: ''Koofur Orsé''), is a Federal Member State in southwestern Somalia. It was founded by Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud, leader of the Somalia RRA on 1 April 2002. It was the third autonomous regio ...

. It is located 123 kilometers southwest of the capital city

Mogadishu Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...

and 23 kilometers west of the coastal city of

Merca Merca (, ) is the capital city of the Lower Shebelle province of Somalia, a historic port city in the region. It is located approximately to the southwest of the nation's capital Mogadishu. Merca is the traditional home territory of the Bimal c ...

History

Qoryoley was named after a Somali man named Ahmed Qoryoley who founded the town before Somali independence. After the fall of the Siad Government, Abdirahmaan Sheikh Mohamed Khadi took the position of district mayor. He was the youngest mayor of all Somali mayors in 2007. On June 12th, 2024, two clan militias, the

Garre The Garre (also Gurreh, Karre, or Binukaaf, Somali: ''Reer Garre'', Arabic: بنو كاف, romanized: ''Banī kāf'') are a prominent Somali clan that traces its lineage back to Samaale, who is believed to have originated from the Arabian P ...

and the Jiiddo, battled for over four hours.

Al-Shabaab

On March 10th, 2014, a battle took place just outside Qoryoley between Al-Shabaab and Somali and

AMISOM The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a Multinational force formed by the African Union. The operation deployed to Somalia soon after the Islamic Courts Union was deposed by troops from Ethiopia during War in Somalia (2006–2009), ...

(now

ATMIS The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) is a former African Union transition and drawdown mission from peacekeeping operations in Somalia. Formerly the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), which began in 2007 and operated ...

) forces resulting in the death of four soldiers and a civilian. On March 22nd, 2014, Ugandan troops in AMISOM liberated Qoryoley from al-Shabaab control, in Operation Eagle. On June 26, 2015, al-Shabaab raided a military base in Leego, which made AMISOM withdrawal from multiple areas, including Qoryoley, which on July 4, was retaken by al-Shabaab. In May 2017, fighters from al-Shabaab attacked

Somali National Army The Somali National Army () are the ground forces component of the Somali Armed Forces. Since Somali independence in 1960, the Army fought to expand and increase Somalia's sphere of influence throughout the Horn of Africa counter to Ethiopia' ...

(SNA) bases. In the assault, two soldiers were injured. In 2018, a Somali government position in Qoryoley was attacked, five military camps being the target, resulting in the deaths of a civilian and twelve of their own militants. Militants raided the El-Salini military base, outside of Qoryoley in September 2019, killing an unknown number of soldiers. On February 19th, 2020, an armed assault by assailants and suicide bombers at El-Salini base occurred, against Somali and ATMIS forces. Casualties vary across sources, but it is estimated as 20-31. On July 4th, 2023, an assault took place on a military base and the district commissioner’s building, with al-Shabaab claiming responsibility. The same year on September 1st, a ~2 hour-long attempted seizure of Qoryoley by al-Shabaab occurred, halted by SNA forces.

Demographics

In 2000, Qoryoley had an estimated population of around 62,700. The largest group of Qoryoley residents Garre . The broader Qoriyoley District had a population of 134,205 in 2024. In 2006, Qoryoley had an estimated population of 51,720. In 2022, Qoryoley had an estimated 120,000 people. 75% were Garre clan whereas the remaining 25% were of various subclans.

Climate

Qoryoley is a hot and arid town, only receiving 296 millimeters of rain per year, on average. The wettest month is May, with 65 millimeters of rain, and the driest is February, with 1 millimeter. The average temperature is 26°C (78.8°F). The hottest month is March, at 32°C (89.6°F), and the coldest is July, at 22°C (71.6°F).

Notable people

Mukhtar Mohammed Mukhtar Mohammed (born 1 December 1990) is a Somalia, Somali-born British middle-distance runner specialising in the 800 metres. He was born in Qoryoley. He was active internationally between 2011 and 2016. Mohammed first came to international ...

, a

middle-distance runner Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, ranging from 500 metres up to . The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distanc ...

. * Abdirahman Sham Qoryooley the youngest ever Mayor of Qoryoley District.

References

External links

Qoryoley, Somalia
Populated places in Lower Shebelle {{Somalia-geo-stub