Three months into the conflict, close to 200,000 people have been
displaced, according to the latest data from the Protection and Return
Monitoring Network led by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed
deep concern over the escalating violence and called on all parties
involved to ensure safe and unimpeded access to those affected by the
armed clashes. “People in Laascaanood urgently need humanitarian
assistance, and we are acting as quickly as possible to bring it to
them,” stated Juerg Eglin, head of the ICRC delegation in Somalia.
ICRC says it has been actively providing support to the victims of
the conflict. To date, 88 wounded individuals from Laascaanood have
received crucial surgical treatment at Mogadishu’s Madina Hospital, a
medical facility supported by the ICRC.
Somaliland, a region in northern Somalia, broke away from the rest of
Somalia following a bloody civil war in 1991 but remains unrecognized
internationally.
The Dhulbahante clan, residing in the Sool region under Somaliland’s
administration, has seen a recent desire to break away and align with
the federal government of Somalia, citing their disagreement with
Somaliland’s unilateral declaration of independence in 1991.
Despite local and international calls for a cessation of the
fighting, the prospects of a resolution seem bleak. Both sides involved
in the conflict have maintained their aggressive rhetoric and displayed
little willingness to engage in peaceful dialogue.
In a recent speech on May 18, President Muse Bihi Abdi of Somaliland
affirmed the determination of his forces, stating, “The fighting will
not stop until Somaliland liberates back all its borders from external
attackers.” This announcement suggests that the conflict will persist
until Somaliland regains control over what they perceive as their
rightful territory.
Similarly, Dhulbahante elders have vowed to sustain their fight in
defense of their ancestral land against Somaliland invasion. They remain
steadfast in their determination to protect their territory from what
they perceive as external aggression.
As the conflict rages on, the humanitarian situation worsens, with
thousands of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. The
international community continues to call for an immediate ceasefire and
the initiation of dialogue to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis
in Laascaanood. However, until both sides are willing to lay down their
arms and engage in meaningful negotiations, the cycle of violence and
displacement is likely to persist, leaving the civilian population
trapped in a dire situation.
