Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/MOGADISHU: Qatar, Turkey, Somalia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and the United Kingdom have expressed concern over fighting around the disputed town in Somalia’s northern breakaway region of Somaliland, where at least 34 citizens were killed in the conflict in early February.
Tussle has risen between Somaliland and the semi-autonomous state of Puntland since the end of the previous year, and heavy fighting has broken out around the town of Lascanood, which straddles the key trade way and is claimed by both territories.
Partners expressed concern
“The world countries expressed concern about the ongoing clash in and around Lascanood and called on parties to abide by the ceasefire, de-escalate, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and also engage in constructive and peaceful negotiations,” the six nations said in a joint statement released by the United States Department on Tuesday.
Fighting around a town erupted in early February after the elders in three provinces of Somaliland, including the Sool Province, where Lascanood is located, announced they wanted to rejoin Somalia and also issued a statement pledging support for Somalia’s government.
Somaliland, a region of 4.5 million citizens, claimed independence from Somalia in 1991 and has since then been relatively stable compared to its Somali neighbour, which witnessed decades of civil war.
Somaliland’s quest for statehood has gone unrecognized, leaving it poor and isolated globally even though it prints its currency, issues its passports, and elects its government.
Somaliland authorities announced the ceasefire on February 10 but both sides accuse each other of violating it.
The director of the main hospital in Lascanood, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, told the AFP news agency by telephone the previous week that the medical facility had been bombarded.
He said, “they’ve destroyed the electricity structure of the hospital, the oxygen system, the blood bank, the office of the human resources and other parts of the hospital building.”
UPDATE: Lascanod's main hospital has been hit during a shelling campaign in the ongoing conflict between Somalia’s semi-autonomous Somaliland and Puntland regions. Medical officials report dozens killed. https://t.co/bn99c0TJxj
— Simon Marks (@MarksSimon) February 28, 2023
