SSC and Silanyo Scuffle
Biyokulule Online
February 11, 2011

 
SSC Resistance Army

Introduction

In the last two decades, the history of northern Somalia is troubled by tensions within the sub-clans. In mapping a way through this region, Roobdoon Forum argues that sub-clan rivalries, combined with artificial borders inherited from the colonial European powers, forms part of the responsibility for today`s crisis in Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions (SSC) in Somalia.

It was the fall of 2007 when the Isaaq-dominated militia from Hargeysa launched an attack on the town of Laascaanood, thereby beginning their all-out aggression against Sool and Cayn regions. Since then, the Hargeysa militia occupied large territories including the capital of Sool, Laascaanood. They also forcefully occupied the towns and villages of Adhicadeeye, Yagoori, Widhwidh, Ballihadhac, Kalshaale, Hagoogane, and Meygaagle etc. In these areas, a belief grew that the current Hargeysa-orchestrated skirmish is an Isaaq plot, with its undertones of securing the so-called �Somaliland� borders.

To complete their expansionism scheme, Hargeysa Administration started to implement the policy of eradicating SSC resistance, ordering its militia to carry out very cruel and inhumane �suppression� in areas where resistance against Hargeysa-aggression was very fierce and enforcing the policy of �kill all, and loot all�. The result was that hundreds of Dhulbahante nomads were cruelly slaughtered and/or displaced. In the latest outbreak of fighting, Hargeysa militias who have seized the villages of Kalshaale and Maygaagle in Cayn region went on a rampage, pillaging, and looting.

Hargeysa ruler, Silanyo, has recently declared Kalshaale as a new military base for his forces and transferred the collective responsibility for everything that happened in Kalshaale incident on the shoulders of Buuhoodle people, although it was his clan, Habar Jeclo, who were the aggressors.  

Hargeysa`s wild attempt to use clan militia (Habar Jeclo) to obstruct the SSC unionist cause is just a wishful thinking and will eventually be condemned by history. So far, the SSC people, who suffered immensely from Isaaq militia`s aggression and expansionism, greatly value Somalia`s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The SSC people who have a long patriotic tradition will and certainly can accomplish their country`s unity cause.

For the people of SSC, stopping secession to maintain Somali unity and territorial integrity is a sacred right; and therefore they will not shirk from their obligations of safeguarding national unity. Thus, opposing secession has a profound legal basis both in the international law and in Somalia`s Constitution and/or Charter.

Also, the SSC people have no wish to gain any territory from its neighbors. In contrast, the Isaaqs seek to profit from its aggression by annexing Dhulbahante towns and grazing lands that have always been peaceful areas.

If peace is wanted, then this peace must be achieved by stopping the Hargeysa-aggression and through dialogue, and the dialogue must be held with the people of SSC. Here are glimpses of the latest news coverage that depict a mixture of hope and despair in northern Somalia.

Somaliland Forces Should Leave From Kalshale Village
February 10, 2011

 
Victims of Hargeysa-orchestrated war against SSC

Kalshale, Feb 10, 2011 (Shabelle Media Network/All Africa Global Media) -- The Sool, Sanaag and Ceyn group but abbreviated as SSC on Wednesday has called on the break away republic of Somaliland to leave the village of Kalshale in Sool region in southern Somalia, where deadly heavy fighting took place one day ago.

Yasin Ali Abdulle, the secretary of SSC, has told the local press that responsibility of the fighting that is going on in Kalshale village jhust outside of Buuhoodle district wil be taken by the Somaliland administration.

He said the local residents in the area are the most victims harmed the most recent clash that took place in northern Somalia.

Shaky calm is reported to have returned in the village of Kalshale in the Buuhoodle district of the Sool region in northern Somalia after a day of deadly confrontation between Somaliland military forces and local armed clan militias, killing eight people and wounding 25 others injured.

SSC fighters are said to be against the presence of the Somaliland military forces in the village of Kalshale and that is the wrangle which changed into combat.

� 2011 AllAfrica, All Rights Reserved

 

Atrocities committed by Hargeysa militia

HARGEISA, 10 February 2011 (IRIN) - More than 3,000 people have been displaced from settlements in Somaliland`s eastern region of Toghdeer following a five-hour-long battle on 7 February between the Somaliland National Army and clans loyal to the Sool, Sanag and Cayn (SSC) milita group.

A long-standing dispute exists over the territories of Cayn, Sool and Sanag, with both the self-declared republic of Somailiand, in northwestern Somalia, and the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland in the northeast claiming them. SSC are fighting to remain part of the original state of Somalia.

Abdullahi Yusuf Koreey, an elder from the area, told IRIN that more than 500 families (3,000 people) were displaced from the village of Hagoogane. �Most are pastoralists.�

He said the area had been suffering from severe water shortages before the fighting. �Many of the families have gone to areas with little or no water points. If their lives were difficult before it is 10 times worse now,� said Koreey.

�We know about 100 families were displaced to Buhotle District from Kalshale, Maygagle and Hagoogane villages [north of Buhotle],� said Faisal Jama, an independent journalist in Las-anod, the main town in the SSC region.

A local journalist told IRIN the fighting was over water and land.

He said many of those displaced were in areas difficult to access. �They are nowhere where aid agencies can access them.�

Over 30 killed

Ahmed H Abdillahi Roraye, director-general of the resettlement and refugees department of Somaliland`s ministry of interior, told IRIN that another 120 families had been displaced to Burao, capital of the Toghdeer region.

�We are now sending an assessment team to evaluate the number of displaced in the area,� he said.

According to journalists in the area, the 7 February clashes killed at least 32 and injured nearly 60 people. Gen Nuh Tani, Somaliland`s army chief, told the media the same day that at least four of his soldiers were killed in the conflict.

�According to information we have received from the Somali Red Crescent in Galka`ayo [south-central Somalia], 21 people were taken to hospital, but two of them died on the way,� said an official from Somaliland`s Red Crescent who requested anonymity.

Another 31 people have been hospitalized in Burao, according to army sources.

Aid workers say continued clashes will increase the suffering of people already dealing with severe drought. �This will make things worse for people who were also suffering the worst drought they have ever experienced,� the Somali Red Crescent source said. �And we are worried that if the conflict continues it will be difficult to reach people in the area.�

Residents of disputed Somali town reportedly stage demos over renewed clashes
BBC Monitoring Africa
February 10, 2011

Text of report by Somali pro-Puntland government Puntlandpost website on 9 February

Demonstrations in opposition to the presence of Somaliland forces were today held in Laas Caanood, Sool Region. The demonstrations were in opposition to the presence of Somaliland forces and recent troubles in Sool Region and the town of Buuhoodle in Togdheer Region.

Hundreds of demonstrators among them women and children burnt tyres in Laas Caanood today causing widespread disruption in the town and challenged Somaliland forces there. Somaliland forces imposed night curfew in Laas Caanood as from 1800 local time following the demonstrations earlier today. Somaliland forces arrested a number of the demonstrators and many others were hurt in the confrontation.

The curfew in the town came after forces led by Ahmad Ali Usman Karash in their battle wagons arrived in the eastern outskirts of the town. These forces have been in the town of Tukaraq in the recent past where they have been conducting operations. Resident of Laas Caanood were protesting the presence of Somaliland forces in the town by force.

Credit: Somali Puntlandpost website in Somali 9 Feb 11

Senior Somaliland commander defects to rebel group in disputed region
BBC Monitoring Africa
February 10, 2011

Text of report by Somali pro-Puntland government Puntlandpost website on 10 February

A senior armed forces commander in Somaliland has defected together with 250 soldiers in their armoured vehicles and took off to the [disputed] town of Buuhoodle [Togdheer Region, northern Somalia].

The senior Somaliland commander named Colonel Ahmad Muhammad Adan alias Dalbac upon arriving in Buuhoodle addressed the residents and said he decided to defect following massacre of his clan members by Somaliland forces. The commander said from today onwards he shares the view of Buuhoodle residents will take part in defending SSC regions [Sool Sanaag and Ceyn regions].

Various sections of the population in the town welcomed the defection of this senior armed forces commander from Somaliland. The commander brought with him 200 men under his command, their vehicles and some 12 battle wagons.

Credit: Somali Puntlandpost website in Somali 10 Feb 11

PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, 09 February 2011 07

Press Release

To:           The Transitional Federal Government of Somalia
                The United Nations
                The European Union
                The Arab League of Nations
                Organization of Islamic Conference
                The African Union
                Inter-Governmental on Development (IGAD)
                The Somali Public in general.

From:    The Unity and Salvation authority,
             SSC Regional Administration of Somalia.

Amsterdam, 07-02-2011

Subject: MORE ATROCITIES IN SOOL, SANAAG AND CAYN REGIONS

On Monday, 7^th February 2011 at six o`clock in the morning the militia headed by Mr. Silanyo has without any excuse attacked civilians and pastoral nomads in and around Maygaagle and Kalshaale. Mr. Silanyo`s militia initiated the early morning aggression by shelling heavy artillery. This inhuman invasion was the second in one week. The Isaaq militia has used excessive force on unarmed communities by using all types of military hardware. The Isaaq tribe inherited 60 percent of last government`s military arms. The military equipment in their possession was the property of Somali National army � once the strongest in Africa.

Today`s violent behavior needs no witness but Mr. Silanyo himself. He broadcasted obnoxious speech (BBC Somali Service of 7^th February, 2011 at 18:00 hours) in which he called all Isaaq clan to unanimously take arms against the people of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn. Mr. Silanyo, having thousands of militia and the above mentioned military gear made this call. This shows the animosity and ill feeling in his heart. The only crime committed by these civilians which Mr. Silanyo vowed massacre them in the SSC regions is fact they belong to non-Isaaq clan and that they do not anyway subscribe to what the Isaaq call Somaliland.

We have appealed to the international community number of times in the past few weeks to get involved in this atrocious and shocking crisis in the SSC regions. It is extremely disappointing the international community did not respond to these horrendous atrocities committed by Hargeisa administration. On the contrary, we learned some international community members spear-headed by Great Britain, USA and Denmark, among others support Isaaq clan in their aspirations to kill, dominate, subjugate and humiliate our people in the SSC regions. We particularly protest against Britain`s unrestricted financial support to the Isaaq`s Somaliland. Britain`s support for one Somali clan against another is contradictory and inconsistent with western democratic values. The monetary donations given to Hargeisa administration are directly used for the mass-killing and occupation of the civilians in Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions. Further support for Mr. Silanyo`s regime is encouragement for his illicit and criminal actions. There is no justification whatsoever for any country or international organization to support or maintain relationship with Hargeisa while it continues ethnic cleansing

We demand immediate intervention and involvement of the international community to discontinue the savagery actions of Mr. Silanyo and his clique in Hargeisa. This regime has killed, wounded, imprisoned, tortured, ripped-off their land and humiliated in any way possible against civilian population of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn. We insist and plead the international community to arrest, prosecute and incarcerate Mr. Silanyo and other individuals responsible for the crimes against humanity that took place in SSC regions from October 2007.

We, Authorities of the Regional administration of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn strongly condemn in its strongest terms Mr. Silanyo`s bloodbath and carnage against our people. We would like the Somali people join us in this condemnation. From the beginning our message was an expression of peace and stability for the clans in the northern regions Somalia. In 1991, when the last Somali Government disintegrated, all clans in the northern region of the country gathered and reached an agreement to live side-by-side in peace. From then, we respected that agreement but Hargeisa administration has violated the settlement.

Please, be reminded that Mr. Silanyo has started this new offensive amid the residents of Kalshaale and Maygaagle were struggling against the current severe drought.

Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Mohamoud Jama
Secretary for Foreign Affairs
SSC Regional Administration
Somalia