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Somalia: Secessionist Somaliland's Naked Aggression against the Peaceful Region of Sool
17 Oct 17, 2007 - 3:43:24 PM

PRESS RELEASE

Somalia's Northern regions, which until recently enjoyed a relative peace, are on the verge of entering an era of internecine clan warfare similar to, and may be worse than, what has plagued the southern part of the country for over a decade.

The Hargeisa-based clan-driven secessionists' northern enclave of Somaliland, in the early hours of October 15, 2007, launched unprovoked armed aggression on the peaceful town of Las Anod, the capital of Sool region in the northern pro-unity State of Puntland. This naked aggression caused the death of at least 12 people and
displacement of large residents of the city, as well as injuring unknown number of civilians. The local people are in arms defending their families and their properties against these invaders from their distant stronghold, Hargeisa, which is more than 900 kilometers away from Las Anod.

The secessionists embarked on this adventure in the face of last week's decisions by the Traditional Leaders of Sool, Sanaag & Cayn regions and their Diaspora communities calling on "Somaliland" to refrain from invading their clan territory and for their citizens to defend their native soil against the military incursions by the secessionists' militia..

The invasion of Las Anod comes only few months after a failed attempt to occupy, Dhahar, a town in Sanaag region, which like the Sool and Cayn northern regions does not subscribe to the secessionists' agenda. In that attempt, several people were killed, the "Somaliland" Minister of Defense was sacked for not delivering the goods, and some NGOs who were brought from Hargeisa had to flee for their lives.

These latest series of unprovoked violence against fellow Somalis stems from a desperate attempt by the secessionists to gain recognition as a separate state; not by peaceful means but by naked military aggression. This latest aggression by the secessionists on other clans' territories risks the loss of the peaceful co-existence
that had so far prevailed among the northern Somali clans. With this pattern of aggression against their neighbours, the secessionists' deafening mantra that "Somaliland" is an oasis of peace is laid to rest and exposed for what it is: a baseless self-serving propaganda aimed to hoodwink the international community that they are worthy of international recognition. "Somaliland" is basically a one clan project solely aimed at achieving chauvinistic goals and establishing hegemony over other clans; to the detriment of the international community's noble efforts to reconstruct a functioning central government which will restore law and order throughout the country.

ONE PEOPLE, ONE COUNTRY

Consistent with its core mandate of promoting peace and unity among the Somali people and the establishment of a unified representative democratic governance propelled by justice and equality for all, the Northern Somalis for Peace & Unity (NSPU):


ï‚· Condemns in the strongest terms the continuation of the naked aggressions and unprovoked armed incursion instigated by the Hargeisa-based secessionist administration against the hitherto peaceful Puntland's regions of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn;
ï‚· Appeals to the international community, specially the UN, AU, EU, IGAD and International NGOs to condemn this aggression of the secessionists entity, "Somaliland", against the peaceful population of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions and use their influence and leverage over the secessionist administration to end their hostilities, withdraw their militias, and refrain from further violence and bloodshed.