Somalia: Las Anod civilian deaths must be probed, says UN

FILE: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk

NAIROBI, Kenya - The United Nations Human Rights body has called for immediate probe to the ongoing killing in Sool region of Somaliland, with a total of 50 people murdered in the last one month following clashes between local community and security officers from the breakaway region.

On Tuesday alone, at least 24 people were killed while 13 others were eliminated on Monday morning, with security officers accused of being the catalyst of the skirmishes. Last month, security forces killed over 20 people in the region, sparking international outcry besides pressure from local human rights teams.

The UN Human Rights chief now want impartial investigations to be carried out to determine the genesis of the conflict which involves local community and members of the Somaliland military who have refused to leave Sool region. Las Anod has been the epicenter of deadly clashes which should be investigated, the UN said.

Volker Turk, the UN Human Rights chief said about 120 people have been killed for the last two months, noting that the conflict escalated this week, with Sool residents calling for withdrawal from Somaliland. The clan elders want the region to be governed from Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.

"These potentially unlawful killings come just a month after at least 20,000 people were displaced by clashes in Las Anod, and could contribute to further displacement, compounding the already fragile humanitarian situation in the region," Turk said in a statement.

The UN chief wondered by both parties are yet to settle their differences amicably instead of escalating the conflict to locals who have borne the brunt of the attacks. The Somaliland military has refused to withdraw despite calls from members of the international community.

"I call on the authorities to conduct a credible and impartial investigation into the clashes to determine who is responsible and hold them to account in fair trials, including for reported damage to homes," Turk said.

On Tuesday, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud asked both parties to embrace ceasefire, noting that cessation of hostilities was urgently needed. The president noted that thousands of locals have since been displaced from Las Anod, with the number likely to increase in coming weeks.

Somaliland region declared self-independence in 1991 during dictatorial regime of Siad Barre and efforts to have the region to subscribe to Mogadishu have been futile. But the revolt at Las Anod could give Somaliland a new sense of being with the region insisting that it is ready to cut ties with Hargeisa.

GAROWE ONLINE