Thursday August 29, 2024
FILE - An aerial view of Erigabo, a city in the Sanaag region, which has recently become a focal point of escalating clan and territorial conflicts. The ongoing violence in the area has disrupted daily life, leading to significant security concerns. CREDIT/ Wikipedia
Mogadishu (HOL) — At least 7 to 9 people were killed near the village of Goof, approximately 40 kilometres from Erigabo, after violent clashes between two militia groups erupted on Wednesday. The violence marks the latest escalation in a series of ongoing clan and territorial conflicts that have plagued the Sanaag region.
The renewed clashes come on the heels of the murder of Salman Adan Abdi, a well-known local figure in Erigabo, who was gunned down earlier this week. Salman’s death has been linked to rising political tensions in the region, exacerbated by an online video he released expressing support for the Khatumo administration—a group in opposition to the Somaliland government—and criticizing both local elders and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi.
In response to the escalating violence, the Somaliland government has called for calm and ordered a crackdown on what it describes as hostile groups inciting division in the region. Security forces have been instructed to neutralize these groups. The Somaliland government has accused these unnamed groups of trying to destabilize communities in southern Sanaag.
However, officials from the SSC-Khaatumo administration have accused Somaliland troops of targeting civilians in both Goof and Erigabo, alleging that these actions have inflamed tensions further. The longstanding territorial disputes between Somaliland and SSC-Khaatumo forces have been a major source of conflict, with each side blaming the other for the ongoing violence.
The Somali Ministry of Internal Affairs and Reconciliation has also intervened, issuing a strong appeal for an immediate end to the conflict in the Erigabo district. The Ministry stressed the importance of reconciliation and urged local elders, religious scholars, and regional administrators to take decisive action to halt the bloodshed, noting that the violence has forced dozens of families to flee their homes.
The situation in Erigabo has led to a heavy security presence in the city, disrupting daily life. Most businesses remain closed following another killing within the city. The Sanaag Regional Security Committee has imposed a curfew on vehicle movement within Erigabo, effective from 4 PM to 7 AM starting on Wednesday, with exceptions only for ambulances and water trucks. Governor Ahmed Abdi Muse announced these measures, demanding strict adherence to the new regulations to prevent further escalation.
Traditional elders, led by Sultan Ahmed Osman Addo Gude, have called for an unconditional ceasefire and urged both sides to halt any form of military mobilization. The calls for peace come amid reports that both sides are amassing weapons and forces, raising concerns of further conflict in the already volatile region.
The conflict in Erigabo is part of a broader pattern of violence in the Sanaag region, where territorial disputes between Somaliland and SSC-Khaatumo forces have repeatedly led to violent confrontations.