At least 210 civilians have been killed in the past 24 days in Las Anods, Somaliland, a breakaway region Somaliain the Horn of Africa, where clashes erupted between militias loyal to the government of Mogadishu and separatist forces.

According to the mayor of the disputed city of Las Anods, Abdirahim Ali Ismail, 210 civilians were killed and another 680 wounded, while 200,000 fled for safety.

The previous death toll, announced on February 23 by the director of the city hospital, was 96.

At today’s press conference, the mayor also said that 750 houses were destroyed and “all government facilities were bombed.”

OUR Somalilandformer colony of Great Britain declared independence from Somalia in 1991., but it has not been recognized by any other country or international organization. The region has lived in relative peace, although Somalia has been mired in civil war and attacks by extremist Islamist insurgents for decades. However, in recent months there have been clashes between Somaliland forces and militias loyal to the Somali government, especially in the Las Anod region, which is claimed by both Somaliland and neighboring Puntland, another Somali province that gained independence in 1998.

The clashes began 24 days ago on February 6, hours after tribal leaders issued a statement in which they pledged to uphold the “unity and integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia” and called on the Somaliland authorities to withdraw their forces from the area. The truce was declared on February 10, but both sides accuse each other of violating it.

Desperate situation

On February 28, a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was attacked “for the fourth time in three weeks,” the organization said. “What we are seeing today is a desperate situation where human suffering (…) is enormous,” he added.

On Tuesday, QatarTurkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and USA in a joint statement, they called for an end to the violence. These countries “expressed their concern about the ongoing conflict (…) and called on all parties to respect the ceasefire (…) and allow unhindered access to humanitarian assistance”, and are “committed to a constructive and peaceful dialogue”.

On February 16, the local UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that more than 185,000 people, 89% of whom were women and children, had fled the conflict in Las Anods. Many had nowhere to go and took shelter in the shade of trees or in schools that were closed due to violent riots.

The next day, UNHCR reported that “over 60,000 Somalis, mostly women and children, left Las Anods with the intention of heading to neighboring southeastern Ethiopia.. The refugees arrived there “overwhelmed,” the UNHCR added, adding that the resources available to these people are extremely limited in this region of Ethiopia, which is experiencing an unprecedented drought.

Somaliland issues its own currency and passports and elects its own government, but remains isolated as it has not been recognized by the international community. Las Anod, an important trade crossroads between Somaliland and Puntland, has changed hands several times over the past decades.

Source: APE-MPE-AFP.