The fighting took place on early Wednesday morning and lasted throughout much of the night. By Thursday the fighting had waned. Both sides sustained heavy causalities and loss of lives. The injured (over 40) were taken to hospitals in Buroa (Somaliland), Hargeysa ( Somaliland) and Gashamo (Zone Five of Ethiopia).

Mediators who came from all directions (Buroa, Hargeysa and Zone Five of Ethiopia) to halt the fighting, reached Daror on Thursday. These were members from the Somaliland lower and upper chambers of parliament, traditional leaders and elders and prominent figures in Somaliland. Mediators in Daror are said to be busy reconciling the two clans and persuading them to agree to a cease fire. There are also reports that the Ethiopian army has arrived in Daror and is arbitrating between the two sides and working on securing an end to all hostilities.

In June last year (2006), similar fighting erupted in Daror between these two clans. Over 20 lives were lost back then and a large number of casualties were reported. That fighting was ended through when mediators from Buroa and Hargeysa intervened and negotiated a peace agreement between the two sides.

Wednesday's fighting is likely to have been a continuation of last June's conflict.

Statements calling for an end to all hostilities have been issued by Somaliland opposition, parliamentarians, traditional sultans and public figures in Buroa and Hargeysa. Many in Somaliland have been expecting the President of Somaliland Dahir Rayale Kahin to issue a public statement calling on the two sides to cease all hostilities and to negotiate peacefully but no such statement was issued.

Because large segments of the two fighting clans reside inside Somaliland and in Ethiopia, there is a serious concern that fighting may spill over from Ethiopia into Somaliland.

Source: Somaliland Times

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