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| Africa Horn |
| 19 year old girl killed as violence erupts in Somaliland voter-registration |
| 2008-10-28 |
| (SomaliNet) A 19-year-old girl was killed Saturday in Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland after police opened fire on a rowdy crowd, Radio Garowe reported. The victim, identified as Hamda Ahmed Abdi, died at the scene in Borama, capital of Awdal region. The media reported that another girl, who was unidentified, was also wounded. Witnesses say police reinforcements led by Borama police chief Muse Abdullahi Hanfi rushed to the scene, but the commander was injured in a car accident on his way to the location and was being treated at a local hospital. However, it is not clear why the crowd became violent and local police officials have refused to comment on the matter, but it is the first incident of violence since the voter-registration process kicked off in Somaliland earlier this month. In Sool region, which is under Somaliland control, the region's influential traditional elders issued a warning to Somaliland's separatist rulers. Speaking in Garowe, capital of rival sub-state Puntland, the Sool clan elders led by Garad Saleban Garad Mohamed warned Somaliland officials not to bring the voter-registration process to Las Anod, capital of Sool region. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally, although the region enjoys relative stability and has a functioning administration. The breakaway region is slated to hold presidential elections in March 2009 with three political parties competing in the elections. |
| Posted by:Fred |