By Hafsa Mursal
Las Anod-Reports have been rife that the Ethiopian government has invited the two warring parties to Addis Ababa to reach a ceasefire in the war.
The spokesman of the Las Anod tradional leaders, Garad Abdisalan Hassan Mohamed, told the BBC, that they did not respond to Ethiopia’s call, because according to him, the city is still being bombarded. Somaliland has not yet spoken about the meeting that is set to be held in Addis Ababa.
Garad Abdisalan accused Somaliland of continuing to bombard the city and said that a mere talk cannot solve the problem in Las Anod.
“There is no peace, the problem is not easy, it is infact at the worst these days, there is no peace or ceasefire” said Garad Abdisalan.
The Somaliland traditional leaders spokesman also announced that they received invitation from Ethiopia to participate in the talks but did not leave the city because of the ongoing shooting.
“We have been contacted and told to come to Ethiopia, there is no way for us to go there, because the bombing is still ongoing, the roads that we would have taken are closed, the water wells have been seized, the shooting is going on, there is no way out for us to go, we have requested Ethiopia to find a way where we can sit and talk in a calm environment or the Las Anod army be removed”.
They have made it a condition that they are ready to attend the meeting and talk but that the Somaliland forces must leave Las Anod.
The Ethiopian government has recently started mediating between Somaliland and traditional elders in SSC areas, to end the conflict that has been going on for a long time.
The traditional elders and a delegation from Ethiopia had a meeting in Garowe working to end the ongoing conflict in that city.
The spokesperson of the Las Anod elders, Garad Abdisalan Hassan Mohamed, has set a condition for the talks, which he said will only take place when Somaliland abandons its position that the conflict is an internal issue.
The President of the self-declared Semi- autonomous State of Somalia Muse Bihi Abdi, who spoke on Tuesday about the situation in the town of Lasanood in the Sool region, said that his first priority is to actualise lasting peace in the besieged town.
Muse Bihi said that they are ready to wecome everyone who works with peace in the Sool region, warning against the hands of “foreigners” who are in control of the situation in the region.
Conflict has been brewing in Lascaanood city since February this year between Somaliland military and local militia from the Dhulbahante clan, the dominant clan in the town.
According to a UN data, more than 185,000 people have been displaced by the conflict while scores of others have also been killed.
Somaliland which seceded from the larger Somalia is laying claim to the town while the Lascaanood residents insist they are part of the extensive Somalia.
The United Nations has on several occasions called for ceasefire but it call has been not been hided to by both parties.
The current Lascaanood debacle began in December last year a local political figure in the region was shot dead in the town by unknown people.
The killing of opposition Leader Abdifatah Abdullahi Abdi sparked protests in the Tien leading to clashes between Somaliland troops and local militias backed by civilians in the city.
