The Government of the Republic of Somaliland has strongly condemned the recent acts of violence perpetrated by the Liyuu Police forces in the Dacawaley area under the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia. These acts, which include a massacre of innocent pastoralists and the abduction of traditional elders from Somaliland, have been described as gross violations of human rights and an affront to diplomatic norms.
Speaking on behalf of the government, the Minister of Internal Security, Mr. Abdalle Mohamed Arab, stated:
“The heinous acts of widespread massacre and abduction committed by the Liyuu Police forces in the Dacawaley area are strongly condemned. Those responsible must be held accountable for their actions.”
The Liyuu Police forces have abducted traditional elders from Somaliland who had traveled to the Dacawaley area to mediate peace and resolve recent conflicts. “This is a grave offense and a clear violation,” said the statement.
The government highlighted the egregious nature of the incidents, particularly the targeting of traditional elders who had traveled to the area to mediate peace and address recent conflicts. The abduction of these elders was described as a clear violation of human rights and an unacceptable breach of diplomatic conduct.
In response to the crisis, the Government of Somaliland has reached out to the Federal Government of Ethiopia, emphasizing the need for accountability and the prevention of future occurrences.
“We have formally conveyed our concerns to Ethiopia and underscored the importance of ensuring justice for the victims and upholding peace and stability in the region,” stated a government spokesperson.
A bilateral meeting between Somaliland and Ethiopian federal officials is scheduled to take place tomorrow at their shared border. The discussions aim to address the recent violence, establish mechanisms for accountability, and reinforce the longstanding security and political cooperation between the two nations.
The Somaliland government has revealed that they have reached to the neighbouring Somali state of Ethiopia as concerns the spate of violence that erupted at Da’awaley in Harshin district of the Somali state of Ethiopia that threatens the cross-border harmonious setting of the pastoral residents that has claimed lives and left several injured.
The Somaliland Minister of Interior said that they have made efforts as a government to quell the violence hence has reached to their counterparts in the neighbouring country.
He appealed for calm and asked the residents of the area to keep their cool as the matter is being addressed by the concerned government of Ethiopia.
He made the appeal through a press conference he called last evening in his office.
“I would like to inform you about the violence that has escalated in the fifth district, where the Somali regional government forces and people from the area fought, which resulted in casualties, deaths and injuries, and serious violence. I express my deepest condolences to the victims of the deaths and injuries. When we learned of this incident, we contacted the authorities of the Somali state of Ethiopia. We noted that since they are responsible for the people of the area, they should address the matter and calm the situation”.
Public works minister Hon. Hussein Aideed and Sports and Youth Deputy Minister Hon. Yusuf Nouh Yusuf a.k.a. Tadase who flanked the minister at the presser also expressed similar sentiments.
They all sent their condolences to the scores reportedly dead following the skirmishes and wished quick recovery to the injured.
People who were injured in the fighting in Da’awaley area have been taken to Bali-gubadle town hospital in Haut region for medical attendance.
The interior minister briefed the nation on the situation of the conflict that occurred in the area that pitted the Ethiopian regional government Liyuu police force and one of the clans of the Somali regional government, which resulted in the clash with a number of deaths and injuries.
The minister said that during the discussions with the security officials of the Somali regional government, they agreed to protect the people and that the authorities of the area.
He added that they have sent a large delegation from Somaliland and that the government is saddened by what happened.
He urged the people living in the area where the violence occurred to remain calm and maintain peace.
In the early hours of this morning, the Liyuu Police, a paramilitary force under the Somali regional administration in Ethiopia, supported by local militias from Yo’ale, carried out a large-scale massacre in the Da’awaley area of Xarshin district. The atrocity has left dozens of civilians dead and displaced thousands of pastoralists in the area, plunging the Arab Isaxaaq community into turmoil.
Eyewitness accounts from the ground paint a grim picture of destruction, with homes and livelihoods devastated in the wake of the assault. The operation, reportedly led by the regional police commander Abdi Siad aka Gafaydhe, targeted the area from three different directions. According to local sources, the Liyuu Police has waged a direct attack on the Da’awaley area despite the fact that many traditional leaders of the Isxaaq community were stationed with an ongoing effort to restore peace and work toward reconciliation.
Several traditional leaders from the Isxaaq community have reportedly been killed, others sustained heavy injuries, and some were forcefully abducted. Images circulating on the social media handles, particularly those affiliated with the Ethiopian Somali Administration, show vehicles belonging to the traditional leaders being taken forcefully upon the assault on them. No one knows what these traditional leaders have done wrong except working for peace.
Da’awaley, a predominantly Arab Isaxaaq settlement, has been a peaceful pastoralist hub in the Somali region. However, growing tensions between regional authorities and local communities have escalated into violence. Reports indicate that the coordinated attack was engineered by the Somali Regional State leadership, raising serious concerns about governance and the impartiality of regional forces.
On the other side of the story, several sources close to the Ethiopian Somali Administration have reported that the forces of the Ethiopian Somali administration are engaged in an operation to restore order and cleanse so-called terrorists fighting in Da’awaley as they put it. However, many have noted that such kind of rhetoric and false labels will further deepen the division among the population of the Ethiopian Somali Region, and incite further conflict.
