At its founding, the city was primarily inhabited by pastoralists, who sporadically fought in clan groups over resources like water and grazing land. In particular, the
Darod, dominant in the north of the city, and the
Hawiye, dominant in the south of the city, fought over the city due to their long-standing rivalry. Kenadid, as part of an ongoing power struggle with his rivals in the
Majeerteen Sultanate, signed a treaty with the
Kingdom of Italy to become a
protectorate, thereby passing the city into nominal Italian control. The city fell back into conflict during the rule of
Siad Barre, who actively took advantage of class differences within the city to exercise his power. In particular, Barre, a member of a Darod subclan, backed the Darod people in their struggle over the city. On 12 November 1989, a group of Hawiye officers mutinied against Barre's regime for this clan favoritism. This mutiny was put down a day later by a militia led by
Maslah Mohammed Barre, Siad Barre's son. Conflicts between Puntland and Galmudug authorities continued to erupt over the status of Galkayo. In November 2015, anger over the construction of a road in Puntland caused a skirmish which left 20 dead, 120 injured, and 90,000 displaced. Another conflict arose in October 2016 over construction rights in a disputed area of the city, which saw a ceasefire agreement meant to allow free transport of goods and people between the two administrations and establish a joint police force to protect the entire city. ==Geography==