Families flee violence in Sool region

[Hiiraan boy]

NAIROBI, 18 September 2007 (IRIN) - Scores of families have fled their homes following a clash between forces from the self-declared republic of Somaliland and the autonomous region of Puntland in Somalia.

"A heavy exchange of artillery took place around the village of Abeseoley [22 km north of the regional capital, Las Anod]," said Faisal Jama, a resident of Las Anod in the Sool region, to which both sides lay claim.

The 17 September clash resulted in the killing of two nomads along with their herd of goats, and caused families living near the front to flee. "People fled the village of Anjiid [16 km north of Las Anod] and moved to Las Anod," he said.

Jama said reports from the area indicated that the fighting was between Puntland and Somaliland forces. It was not immediately clear what triggered the fighting or what the casualty figures were.

Both sides were accusing the other of initiating the hostilities. Ahmed Aden Arab, the Puntland deputy minister for local government, said Somaliland forces started the shelling.

"They started it and we responded," he said.

However, Somaliland spokesman, Said Adani, termed the accusation baseless. "This is between clans," he said. "Somaliland forces have nothing to do with it."

The regions of Sool and Sanag, in northern Somalia, geographically fall within the borders of pre-independence British Somaliland, but most of the area's inhabitants, the Warsangeli and Dhulbahante communities, who are members of the larger Darod clan, are associated with residents of Puntland.

Tension between the two sides had been simmering since Puntland troops took total control of Las Anod in December 2003. Before then, both sides had official representation in the town.

The area was reported to be calm but tense on Tuesday. "There is no shelling this morning but there is a lot of movement of forces in the area," Jama added.

Arab said the likelihood that people would be affected by the clash was real. "They [Somaliland] are preparing and we are too," he said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for Somalia said the shelling took place for four hours in an area 22 km north of Las Anod.

Matthew Olins, the acting head of OCHA-Somalia, said: "We are very concerned about anything that could possibly escalate tension between Puntland and Somaliland."

However, he added he was hopeful that the tension would continue to diminish.

[Hiiraan boy]

FUK THOSE MUTHERFUKERS WHO WANT WAR SITTING IN THEIR COMFIY HOUSES IN RAMADAN

MASAKIIN SOMALI GET AFFECTED IN RAMADAN AND U WANT WAR AND TALK ABOUT WHOIS STRONGER

[Somalistan]

When it comes to somaliland and Puntland. there is not fair game at all. Pland can't defend itself, but I highly doubt that somaliland will make such stup1d mistake and start a war right now when elections are to be held in 200 days from now.

Edit: Somaliland forces have nothing to do with it.

[Hiiraan boy]

WAR FUK SOMALILAND AND PUNTLAND

these mutherfukers are gaajo infested mutherfukers thinking their superpowers and fighting about something stupid

dadka masakiinta are gonna be suffering cause of these mutherfukers

[Somalistan]

Calm down bro. I haven't seen your this angry against the TFG warmongers. Somaliland is good in initiating peace and trust me there won't be any serious clashes. Thus far only 1 person have been reported (allah yaa raxma). I very confident, the Garado of beesha Dhulbahante and others will work together to resolve this before it gets any worst. In meantime, keep your head up abti.

Thanks,