Saturday 21 January 2012

SOMALIA: Somaliland forces shoot civilians in Las’anod town as Anti-Somaliland demonstration turns violent

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By; Abdalle Ahmed
Las’anod (RBC) At least two demonstrators were shot dead by Somaliland forces in Las’anod and two others were seriously injured on Saturday after anti-Somaliland demonstrations in the town turned violent, RBC Radio reports.
Hundreds of angry women and men mostly teenagers marched the streets burning tires and closing off roads.
One eye witness in Las’anod told RBC Radio the protest turned into violent after Somaliland police attempted to disperse the rioters and begun firing bullets to the people.
Two teenagers were killed as other two women were seriously wounded, health officials confirmed.
The demonstrators were chanting anti-Somaliland slogans and calling for the newly announced regional state of ‘Khatumo’ to administrate the whole region.
The demonstrators also demanded Somaliland troops, who militarily seized control of Las’anod in Oct. 2007 to withdraw from Las’anod.
“The people protested Somaliland’s occupy. They were throwing stones to the local administration offices” one of the demonstrators told RBC Radio in anonymity condition because of security.
“We are against any interest which divides Somali people” he added.
Today’s demonstration came as a tribal conference in Taleh district of Sool region last week declared new autonomous administration rebuffing Somaliland’s separatist intention. Somaliland president Ahmed Mohamud Silanyo described the declaration of the new state of ‘Khatumo’ as big threat against his beak away administration.
Located in northwest Somalia, Somaliland unilaterally declared independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally.
RBC Radio

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