UN calls for investigation over clashes in Somaliland

The UN has called for an independent and impartial investigation into clashes in the separatist Somali region of Somaliland, which it said left “at least 20 dead and 119 injured”.

“I am concerned about reports that clashes are continuing today and have resulted in new casualties,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement.

The UN toll is double that advanced Monday by several sources, interviewed after clashes between armed militias loyal to the Somali government and forces of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland, in Las Anod, a town disputed in this region.

Las Anod is claimed by both Somaliland and the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, loyal to Mogadishu.

“These killings come just a month after at least 20,000 people were displaced by clashes in Las Anod, and could contribute to further displacement, worsening the already fragile humanitarian situation in the region,” Türk said.

“I call on the authorities to carry out a credible and impartial investigation into the clashes to determine who is responsible and to hold them accountable in fair trials,” he added.

africanews