International partners have expressed concerned about the violence in Laascaanood resulting in civilian deaths and casualties.
In a joint statement the partners said Preventing violence and ensuring the protection of civilians is paramount.
“We call for calm and restraint. Tensions must be resolved through de-escalation and dialogue,” read part of the statement.
The joint statement came from African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, European Union (EU) Delegation, Finland, France, Germany, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, League of Arab States (LAS), Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Sudan, Sweden, Türkiye, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States and United Nations.
Protests in the city of LasAnod, located in the Sool region of Somalia, have resumed and are reportedly becoming increasingly violent.
The demonstrations began a week ago and were sparked by the assassination of a local youth leader and member of the opposition Waddani Party, Abdifatah Abdullahi Abdi (Hadrawi).
At least 21 people have been killed in the city since the riots began a week ago, including women, children, young people, and elderly.
Since then, the Sool region and the neighboring region of Sanaag have resisted being fully incorporated into Somaliland and sought greater autonomy.
These longstanding grievances have contributed to ongoing tensions between the government of Somaliland and the people of the Sool region, including the current round of protests in LasAnod.
It remains to be seen how the situation will be resolved, as the protesters continue to demand that the security forces leave the city and the use of force by the authorities continues to result in civilian casualties.
