The administration of the Somali separatist region of Somaliland announced last Friday the beginning of an unconditional ceasefire, followed hours later by a resumption of hostilities, to put an end to a new wave of fighting in the city of Las Anod that has left at least 200 people dead in recent days, according to medical sources.
Fighting broke out on Monday in this town, the administrative center of the Sool region between Somaliland forces and militia groups after local leaders represented in the so-called Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions Unity and Salvation Authority (SSC) declared their intention to rejoin federal Somalia.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, but has not gained wide international recognition for its status and has faced opposition from some clan elders in disputed areas along its border with Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland state.
After five days of fighting, Somaliland’s defense minister, Abdiqani Mahamoud Ateye, announced on his Twitter account that «the Somaliland government agreed to an unconditional ceasefire tonight (Friday) despite earlier attacks by militias.»
Traditional SSC leaders, such as Garad Jama, have declared themselves «completely willing to accept the ceasefire as long as the enemy shows that they want to talk,» he explained in statements reported by Shabelle Media Network. Medical sources have confirmed to the media that almost two hundred people have been killed by this wave of violence.
However, hours after announcing the agreement, the Somaliland Ministry of the Interior has reported new fighting in the city and surrounding areas against a base in Las Anod, although for the moment there is no evidence of casualties.
The fighting broke out on Monday hours after regional clan leaders claimed they were loyal to the federal authorities and stressed that they would abide by the constitution, sparking criticism from Somaliland authorities, who took control of the city some 15 years ago.
Faced with this situation, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, on Tuesday called on the Somali authorities for a «credible and impartial» investigation into the clashes and warned of their impact on «an already fragile humanitarian situation in the region».
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
