DAAWLEY, Ethiopia — Heavy fighting broke out in the town of Daawley in Ethiopia’s Somali Region early on Wednesday, leading to multiple deaths and injuries, sources said. The confrontations involved regional security forces and armed civilians amid a backdrop of increased regional tension.
Communications disruptions have limited the flow of information from the area, but it is confirmed that casualties have occurred. Medical teams have transported the injured to hospitals in Jigjiga, Ethiopia, and Baligubadle, Somaliland, with at least five ambulances involved.
Somaliland has strongly criticized the violence, claiming that the Liyu Police, a paramilitary unit in the Somali Region, perpetrated a “massacre” targeting unarmed civilians.
“This incident represents a gross violation of human rights and undermines the rule of law,” said Somaliland’s Internal Security Minister Abdalle Mohamed Arab. Mustafa Muhumed Omar, President of Ethiopia’s Somali Region, has expressed regret for the events.
The situation escalated further when Somaliland claimed that traditional elders acting as peace mediators were abducted. “Such actions directly attack our efforts toward peace,” a Somaliland government statement read.
The regional government of Ethiopia has not yet commented officially on the incident. In the past, the Somali Region’s security authorities have often blamed similar outbreaks of violence on attacks by armed groups targeting law enforcement.
In response to the escalating conflict, urgent talks between Somaliland and Ethiopia’s federal government are set to take place at their border, with the aim of calming tensions and working towards a resolution. Analysts warn that without immediate intervention, the situation could deteriorate further, potentially triggering a significant humanitarian crisis.
