Somaliland town quiet after deadly riot

Upi.com

Feb. 7, 2010

LAS ANOD, Somalia, Feb. 7 (UPI) — All was quiet Sunday in the Somaliland city of Las Anod, one day after large-scale anti-government protests broke out, witnesses said.

Calm was the rule in the city Sunday, Shabelle Radio reported. But on Saturday, a riot rocked the city in the breakaway Somali republic of Somaliland, during which at least two demonstrators were killed and five security forces members were injured.

Shabelle cited local reports saying the demonstration was caused by unhappiness over the tactics of the regions’ security forces in detaining citizens, including the town’s schoolteachers.

Despite the calm, Shabelle said the situation was still fragile with further anti-government riots possible. Observers said more security forces had been added to local police forces.

Informations

Le Somaliland est un ancien territoire britannique situé au nord-ouest de la Somalie dans la corne de l’Afrique. Le 18 mai 1991, les clans du nord ont proclamé l’indépendance de la République du Somaliland qui comprend les régions administratives de Awdal, Togdheer, Sanaag, Saaxil, Sool et Woqooyi Galbeed.

Ces régions sont situées entre l’Éthiopie, Djibouti et le Golfe d’Aden, une superficie d’environ 137 600 km². La population est estimée à 3,5 millions, dont le clan des Issak forme la majorité et les Gadaboursi, les Issas et les Darod sont des clans minoritaires. La capitale du Somaliland est Hargeisa avec une population d’environ 400 000 habitants.

Bien que ce pays ne soit reconnu par aucun gouvernement, il reste stable politiquement, grâce à la prépondérance des règles claniques et de l’infrastructure économique laissée par les Britanniques, les Russes et les programmes d’assistance militaire américains.

émeutes précédentes

Septembre 2009 : 3 die in Somaliland protests

www.news24.com

2009-09-12

Hargeysa – At least three people died and several others were injured in the breakaway state of Somaliland when angry demonstrators clashed with riot police on Saturday, officials and witnesses said.

The clashes erupted when opposition demonstrators chanting anti-government slogans tried to break into the parliament building after police tried to stop a debate scheduled on a motion to impeach the president.

« They tried to enter the parliament building by force and the riot police stopped them. There were clashes and so far three people have died, » a Somaliland police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The protestors also burned three police vehicles and set fire to tires in the streets, he added.

Witnesses said the riot police opened fire onto the crowd.

« We were peacefully demonstrating this morning when the police aggressively dispersed the crowds by indiscriminately spraying them with gunfire. They killed three civilians and injured several others, » witness Mohamed Salad said.

Tempers have been running high over the impeachment motion all week.

On Tuesday police swarmed into parliament after lawmakers fought among themselves and one drew a pistol.

Tension has mounted in the breakaway state after the postponement of the presidential election scheduled for September 27.

The election has already been delayed twice, notably over a disagreement concerning the voters’ register.

President Dahir Riyale Kahin, in power since May 2002, is seeking re-election but faces a stiff challenge from Faisal Ali Warabe, of the Justice and Welfare Party, and Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud, of the Development and Solidarity Party.

A former British protectorate, Somaliland broke away from the rump Somalia 10 months after Somali strongman Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991.

More stable and economically viable than central and southern Somalia in recent years, Somaliland is seeking international recognition as an independent state.

Juin 2009 Mob runs riot as part of Hargeisa runs out of water

http://www.somalilandglobe.com

08 June 2009

Hargeisa, Somaliland (Somaliland Globe)- Police used live ammunition against demonstrators as violence rocked the southern part of Hargeisa on Friday evening due to severe water shortages.

With the authorities showing lack of perspective planning and failure to deal with the incessant water problems letting parts of Hargeisa, the capital city, reel under severe water crisis, residents have resorted to staging agitations as the only ultimate weapon to get a solution.

The seething anger felt by residents of Ahmed Dhagah district in Hargeisa exploded yesterday as scores of angry people, mostly women and children, took to the streets. Witnesses said  the violence erupted at around 7.00pm with angry demonstrators blocking the road between Edna Adan Hospital and Hargeisa Stadium with boulders and burning tyres.

The disturbance brought a swift and brutal response from the authorities who swamped the area with heavily armed police.  Police used live ammunitions to disperse the demonstrators. However, there were no reported casulaties.

“It is a tragedy  that the police used live ammunition against an unarmed demonstrators demanding their right to drinking water,” said Ahmed Mohammed Diriye, KULMIYE MP for Ahmed Dhagah district. “This lack of access to clean drinking water is one of the monumental failures of this government”.

Water riots occurred in Hargeisa for the fourth time this week because ordinary citizens feel helpless and hopeless as a result of finding no means to achieve their legitimate demands.

Hargeisa’s water infrastructure is outdated and crumbling, unable to cope with the city’s swelling population. Government officials siphon off all the money generated from the Water Agency.

Residents boisterously fighting for every drop of water have become a regular sight in this part of Hargeisa.

This latest public unrest coincided at a time president Rayale is visiting the eastern regions of the country as part of his election campaign, pledging voters that his government will dig more water wells to provide adequate supply of drinking water to villages.

Rayale’s government claimed before that the country has reached self-sufficiency in water supply.

The Somaliland Water Agency comes directly under the president.

~ par Alain Bertho sur 7 février 2010.

Publié dans émeutes, riots