Deadly clashes continued on Tuesday (February 7th) in the town of Las Anod in the self-declared state of Somaliland. They pit the armed forces of Somaliland against local fighters who claim their region belongs to the Somali federal government. The UN deplores “at least 20 dead and 119 injured” in these clashes and calls for the opening of an investigation.
The conflict around Las Anod is old. The town, claimed by both Somaliland and the Federal Government of Somalia, has changed hands several times in 15 years.
The violence erupted on Monday and escalated on Tuesday. Witnesses report the use of heavy weapons. Medical facilities were reportedly affected. Faced with the number of civilian victims, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says he is worried about calling for an “impartial and independent” investigation into what he describes as potentially unlawful killings.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has come out of silence on this conflict. In a balancing act, he called the violence “unfortunate” and called on all parties to lay down their arms and open negotiations. “The solution will not come from weapons,” he said.