MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Fierce clashes erupted anew on Wednesday along the border between Ethiopia and Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland, as armed clan militias and Liyuu Police forces engaged in intense combat, merely days after similar hostilities resulted in multiple casualties on both sides.
The violence coincided with efforts by Somaliland elders, whose clansmen reside in the village of Da’awaley on the Ethiopian side of the border, to mediate escalating tensions and restore stability to the region. These elders had been diligently working to facilitate dialogue and ease the mounting conflict when the situation rapidly deteriorated.
Earlier, the Liyuu Police, an elite paramilitary force of the Ethiopian Somali region, launched a coordinated assault on the town, sparking a violent gunfight with local residents. The confrontation led to significant casualties among the Liyuu Police ranks, along with the capture of weapons and military vehicles by the locals.
As gunfire erupted from every corner of the village early on Wednesday morning, the Somaliland elders, who had arrived to mediate and restore peace, were forced to flee precipitously. Locals claim the Liyuu Police’s assault, launched from at least four directions, was a deliberate attempt to target and eliminate the elders, further escalating the already volatile situation.
In response, authorities from both Somaliland and the Ethiopian Somali region have called for restraint and urged combatants to seek calm. However, despite these appeals, the clashes show no signs of abating, leaving the region in a state of ongoing instability and heightened tension.
