Security forces in Somaliland’s Borama, the administrative capital of Awdal, clashed with protesters today as demonstrators demanded justice for a Coast Guard officer killed by a fellow soldier last week in Lawyacado, a coastal village in the Awdal region bordering Djibouti.
Protesters threw rocks at government buildings, blocked city streets and set tires ablaze. No casualties have been reported so far.
On Sunday, a lower-level Somaliland military court convicted Ahmed Abdi Abdillahi for the murder of Khadar Mohamed Aynanshe, a Coast Guard officer. The second-level court decision is anticipated on Monday.
Awdal Governor Mohamed Ahmed Ali Timbaro and Borama Mayor Mohamed Ahmed Ali Timbaro told local media that misinformation had spread, alleging the execution would not occur. The mayor said that the protesters were not related to the deceased officer.
“The protesters are not the officer’s relatives; they are individuals with other motives,” Governor Timbaro stated.
Video on social media showed military vehicles firing what appeared to be live ammunition, with protesters dispersing as shots rang out.
Earlier this year, hospitals reported that clashes between Somaliland forces and protesters in Las Anod resulted in the deaths of dozens of people, mostly civilians, and around 30 others injured. The protests in Las Anod were sparked by the killing of several influential locals, including a senior official from the main opposition party, which led to demonstrators demanding justice and a return to the Somali Union as a Federal Member State.
This story is developing.
