At least 210 civilians have been killed in the past 24 days in Las Anods, Somaliland, the breakaway region of Somalia in the Horn of Africa, where clashes have erupted between militias loyal to the Mogadishu government and separatist forces.

According to the mayor of the disputed city of Las Anods, Abdirahim Ali Ismail, 210 civilians were killed and another 680 injured while 200,000 people fled for safety.

The previous toll, announced on February 23 by the director of a hospital in the city, was 96 dead.

In today’s press conference, the mayor also said that 750 houses had been destroyed and “all government facilities were bombed.”

Somaliland, a former British colony, declared independence from Somalia in 1991, but has not been recognized by any other country or international organization. This region has lived in relative peace, although Somalia has been mired in civil war and attacks by extremist Islamist insurgents for decades. In recent months, however, there have been clashes between Somaliland forces and militias loyal to the Somali government, particularly in the Las Anod region, which is claimed by both Somaliland and neighboring Puntland, another Somali province that gained independence in 1998.

The clashes began 24 days ago on February 6, hours after tribal leaders released a declaration pledging to support “the unity and integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia” and calling on Somaliland authorities to withdraw their forces from the area. A ceasefire was declared on February 10, but both sides accuse each other of violating it.

Desperate situation

On February 28, a hospital where Doctors Without Borders (MSF) operates was targeted “for the fourth time in three weeks,” the organization said. “What we are witnessing today is a desperate situation where human suffering (…) is enormous,” he added.

On Tuesday, Qatar, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the US called in a joint statement for an end to the violence. These countries “expressed their concern over the ongoing conflict (…) and called on all sides to observe the ceasefire (…) and allow unhindered access to humanitarian aid” but also “to commit to a constructive and peaceful dialogue”.

On February 16, the local UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that more than 185,000 people, 89% of whom were women and children, had fled the conflict in Las Anods. Many had nowhere to go and found shelter in the shade of a tree or in schools that were closed due to the violent riots.

UNHCR reported the next day that “more than 60,000 Somalis, mostly women and children”, had left Las Anods for neighboring southeastern Ethiopia. The refugees arrived there “overstretched”, the UNHCR added, clarifying that the resources available for these people are extremely limited in this region of Ethiopia, which is experiencing an unprecedented drought.

Somaliland issues its own currency and passports and elects its own government, but remains isolated as it has not been recognized by the international community. Las Anods, an important trading crossroads between Somaliland and Puntland, has changed hands several times in recent decades.