Inter-clan fighting between clans in the Salel and Awdal regions broke out on Sunday, just one day after Somaliland’s Minister of Interior, Mr. Abdale Mohamed Arab, announced that the two sides had reached a peace agreement to end the ongoing hostilities. Opposition parties in Somaliland, namely Kulmiye and Kaah, have called for an immediate end to the fighting and for both sides to accept the peace agreement. They have condemned the inter-clan feud as a despicable act. The Chairman of Kaah political party, Mr. Mohamud Hashi Abdi, stated, “It is unfortunate that there is hostility within the province, specifically between brotherly people and clans who share blood and culture. We call upon them to stop the hostilities and come to the negotiation table to address their grievances.” The opposition parties have also urged the Somaliland government to have a clear plan to address the ongoing hostilities in the western regions of the country and to take immediate action to bring an end to the fighting. Mr. Abdi added, “We urge the government to have a clear plan for pacifying Awdal and Salel provinces. The first step should be to cease the fire and separate the warring sides, and the government must use maximum force to bring an end to the hostilities.” He also criticized the government’s current plan as ineffective and called for a stronger approach. Minister Abdalle had previously announced that the Somaliland government had rejected the presence of armed clan militia and that elders in the settlements had signed a peace accord. He also stated that Somaliland security forces were stationed at the western border and dismissed rumors that clan militia had crossed the border with Ethiopia and Djibouti. He emphasized that these rumors were baseless. The Minister also declared that peace had been achieved between the clans in Salel and Awdal provinces and reiterated that the government would maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards individuals who incite unrest and oppose the peace agreement.
