Lego, (; ) is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

located in

Bay, Somalia Bay (, , ) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia. Overview It is bordered by the Somali regions of Bakool, Hiran, Lower Shebelle (Shabeellaha Hoose), Middle Juba (Jubbada Dhexe), and Gedo. Baidoa used to be the capit ...

. It is situated 100

kilometre The kilometre (SI symbol: km; or ), spelt kilometer in American English, American and Philippine English, is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousand metres (kilo- being the SI prefix for ). It is the ...

s northwest of the capital

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 approximately 20 km west of Yaqbiriweyne and 54 km east of Burhakaba. It is located on the road between Burhakaba and Bali Dogle in the Lower Shabelle region.

Demographics

The district has a total population of 129,811 with a roughly 79%. It is inhabited subclans of GAALJECEL , Calofi

History

In 2006, the village was the site of the Battle of Jowhar between forces of the Somali

Transitional Federal Government The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) (, , ) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Somalia from 14 October 2004 until 20 August 2012. It was established in Nairobi, Kenya, following the Transitional National Govern ...

and the

Islamic Courts Union The Islamic Courts Union () was a legal and political organization founded by Mogadishu-based Sharia courts during the early 2000s to combat the lawlessness stemming from the Somali Civil War. By mid-to-late 2006, the Islamic Courts had expanded ...

. In 2015, the area was the scene of heavy fighting between al-Shabaab militants and

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...

troops in May and June 2015 with one notable instance being the Battle of Leego. In 2017, the town was retaken by al-Shabaab following the withdrawal of

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), ...

troops as result of the Golweyn ambush. In August 2017, the AMISOM high command reportedly assured Leego's mayor, Abukar Abdullahi Isak Al-Adaala that the

Ethiopian military The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) () is the combined military force of Ethiopia. ENDF is consisted of 10 command forces which is controlled by the Chief of General Staff. Commanders of the Military Supreme Commander – Taye Ats ...

would soon send new troops in order to reconquer Leego.

References

Bay, Somalia {{somalia-geo-stub