Somaliland Parliament Speaker Abdirisaaq Khalif Ahmed has accused Somaliland’s President Muse Bihi of obstructing all efforts to bring peace to Las Anod.
“I want to confirm that every peace step we took on the president’s side was not fulfilled,” Khalif said.
The Speaker stated that the government’s claim that it was fighting terrorist groups in Las Anod has spiralled out of control and described it as an offensive move.
“The army had been indiscriminately bombing the town for three weeks, including hospitals.”
Abdirisaaq Khalif accused Somaliland’s army of committing war crimes in the region, and the town was bombed on the orders of Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi.
Somaliland Parliament Speaker Abdirisaaq Khalif Ahmed underlined that he represents the people of the Sool region in parliament and suggested that the president should accept the elders’ communiqué.
The fighting started in Lasanod, the administrative capital of Somaliland’s eastern Sool region, after a group of local leaders, civil society groups and religious leaders announced that they would no longer recognize the Somaliland government.
In a statement, they said the territory will now be ruled from Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.
The Somaliland administration has labelled the local forces “terrorists” and blamed them for the violence.
Reports from Las Anod town indicate that SSC-Khatumo forces captured new army positions after Somaliland administration forces withdrew from army positions on Sunday morning.
Another clash between the Somaliland army and local clan militia forces was reported in the Tukaraq area of the Sool region.
