Several protesters were killed and dozens were injured in Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, when police opened fire on anti-government protesters, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported, citing testimonies from local officials.
Hundreds of people took to the streets of the towns of Hargeisa, Buro and Erigavo — following the breakdown in negotiations between the Somaliland government and opposition parties — accusing the authorities of seeking to delay elections.
A former British colony, Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, an act that was not recognized by the international community and left this region of 4.5 million people impoverished and isolated.
“Peace can prevail in Somaliland only with free and fair elections. May those who defend democracy prevail,” Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, an official opposition leader, told the crowd.
One of the organizers of the anti-government protests, Ahmed Ismail, told AFP that three people were killed and 34 others were injured in Hargeisa. One person was killed in Erigavo during clashes between police and protesters, according to an eyewitness.
Last June, opposition leaders accused the police of opening fire on citizens participating in an anti-government demonstration in Hargeisa.
Source: Capital
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