According to a regional leader and a senior police official in Somalia’s breakaway province of Somaliland, clashes between security forces and demonstrators in the Somaliland area over an alleged plot to postpone the presidential elections have turned deadly.
Muse Bihi Abdi, the president of Somaliland, reported the deaths of at least five persons and the injuries of another 100 in a Facebook post late on Thursday.
Numerous members of the security forces were hurt during the battles with the protestors, who were equipped with knives, catapults, and clubs, according to Abdi Hassan Mire, the deputy commander of the Somaliland police. Some of them, he claimed, had firearms and fired shots.
According to authorities, property and vehicles were also destroyed.
Although Abdi’s current term as president expires in November, the opposition believes he intends to put off the election and accuses him of trying to extend his tenure through the “Guurti,” a council of elders that serves as Somaliland’s de facto parliament.
The president, Abdi, did not specify if the fatalities were security personnel or civilians.
“We shall not allow chaos and demonstration in any town or in any village. They will be confronted. Unauthorised violent demonstration to destroy the nation will not be accepted.”
According to Ibrahim Abdi Haji, the head of operations for the Somaliland Police, at least 100 people believed to have been involved in the skirmishes were detained and would shortly face charges.
After talks between the government and opposition parties broke down, with the latter accusing the latter of attempting to prolong the election, hundreds of people came to the streets in the capital Hargeisa as well as the cities of Burao and Erigavo.
Hold the election on November 13, 2022, said the protesters, who also screamed anti-government chants.
Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, the head of the main opposition Waddani party, accused the government of perpetrating “atrocities” against the demonstrators during a news conference late on Thursday.
At the news conference in Hargeisa, he stated, “This was a peaceful rally and we have led people who held only banners and whistles, but the government has committed violations by deploying disproportionate power, live bullets, and tear gas.”
Only if fair and free elections are held in Somaliland can peace be established. Let democracy be upheld.
Six people have died, according to Abdirahman Cirro, a presidential candidate and former leader of Waddani, reports the Reuters news agency.
He stated, “Until we have full democratic space and are free from authoritarianism and bad leadership, the demonstrations will continue and this is just the beginning.
Three individuals, including a woman, were killed in Hargeisa, according to one protest organizer, Ahmed Ismail, who also reported that 34 other people had been brought to hospitals.
Six foreign diplomatic missions, including those of the US, UK, and European Union, denounced the “excessive use of force” during the protests in a statement on Thursday.
Statement from international partners on the current situation in Somaliland pic.twitter.com/eaj9E9aFjJ
— France in Somalia (@FranceinSomalia) August 12, 2022
The statement read, “We appeal upon all sides to guarantee that both the protests and the police response remain peaceful and obey the rule of law.
“We underline the necessity for constructive communication between all parties in Somaliland in order to agree on a schedule for elections. The leaders of Somaliland must collaborate with the country’s citizens to determine their destiny and safeguard the nation’s democracy, peace, and stability.
Although Somaliland split apart from Somalia in 1991, its independence has not been widely acknowledged internationally. Despite Somalia’s 30 year civil conflict, the region has remained largely quiet.
