At least 7 people died and more than a hundred people were injured in anti-government protests in Somaliland, on Thursday.
Most of the deaths and injuries occurred in the cities of Hargeisa, Burco and Eerigabo, according to the opposition parties that organized the demonstrations in several cities in Northwest Somalia.
The government of Somaliland cut off the internet during the demonstrations, the protests continued last night in different locations.
The opposition parties are strongly opposed to the plan of Somaliland President Muse Bihi, who wants to postpone the presidential election on 13 November 2022.
The opposition parties; Wadani and UCID have been working for a while to hold a peaceful demonstration to express their grievances, but they were prevented by the government led by Bihi’s Kulmiye Party, which finally restricted the parties to demonstrate in front of their headquarters and not to come to the public areas.
Yesterday’s protests were the deadliest in the history of Somaliland, many people took to the social media, posting the pictures and videos of the police firing live bullets at the unarmed protesters.
Somaliland’s leader Muse Bihi, who did not apologize for the killing by the police, blamed the opposition parties. He issued an order that no further protests could be held.
The people of Somaliland, who have enjoyed peace for the past two decades, are now worried that this new crisis will lead to bloodshed or even civil war, if there is no political agreement to the conflict related to the presidential election in November.
