Sunday February 5, 2023
Hargeisa (HOL) - Residents in the El-Afwayn district in the Sanag region took to the streets in protest after a civilian was shot dead by Somaliland security services on Sunday.
Somaliland's specially-trained RRU forces killed a man who locals have identified as Abokor Omar Ali near the district. The police officials did not give any details about the incident.
According to residents, police fired live ammunition to disperse protestors waving the Somali national flag and burning tires on the main roads.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not been recognized as an independent state. Despite this, the breakaway government has established control over much of the territory of northern Somalia, including the region of Sanaag.
Members of the Somaliland House of Representatives from the Sool region called on the government to do something about the killings by the army, which have been repeated several times.
"We are tired of the government saying that we are doing an investigation, but nothing has come out of it. We are standing up this morning and waiting for justice from the government," MP Iid Hidig said.
Long-standing inter-clan conflicts in the El-Afwayn district have subsided during the past two years due to peace accords amongst the clans.
The latest flare-up in the El-Afwayn district follows protests in Las Anod in late December after several intellectuals and politicians were killed by unknown gunmen. Somaliland authorities are accused of killing nearly two dozen protestors to quell the demonstrations.
Traditional elders from the SSC community have gathered in Las Anod in recent weeks to try and find a long-standing resolution to the regional dispute.