At least 57 people are said to have perished in days of fighting in the disputed city of Las-Anod between anti-government militants and Somaliland security forces after local officials proclaimed they intended to rejoin the federal government of Somalia.
More than 400 people had also been injured, according to the director of a public hospital in Las-Anod, the administrative hub of the Sool area.
Las-Anod has been a point of contention between Somaliland and the Somali state of Puntland for many years, but Somaliland has been in charge of the city.
To that effect, traditional leaders declared that the city had been invaded by Somaliland forces.
After a committee of local leaders, religious experts, and civil society organizations declared last week that they no longer recognized the Somaliland administration and desired to rejoin Somalia, fighting broke out in Las-Anod.
Although Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991, it has never been acknowledged as a sovereign state.
On Friday night, authorities there issued a ceasefire, but some fighting persisted. According to Somaliland’s interior ministry, the ceasefire was still in effect because the military responded in self-defense.
Moreover, according to the United Nations, continuous fighting has forced more than 80,000 people to flee their homes, and shelling has also cut off water and electricity.