Ethiopia: Lasanod Fighting Resumes Amid Ethiopia Mediation

Las Anod — After days of precarious calm in Lasanod, Somaliland army resumed shelling the city from the outskirts on Monday morning, residents said.

There were reports of clashes between SSC and Somaliland troops, who are on defensive mode after losing key bases in Lasanod and nearby Tukaraq area last month.

The situation has been stable for the past few days after more than 20 days of fighting in the town and its surroundings. Some 200,000 persons fled their houses due to the war.

There are efforts by some of the neighboring countries, mainly Ethiopia trying to mediate the warring sides and push for a ceasefire that eventually could lead to a lasting peace.

The government of Ethiopia dispatched a team that visited Hargeisa, where they met with Somaliland leader Muse Bihi Abdi over the resolve of the Lasanod hostilities.

They also traveled to Garowe, Puntland and held a similar meeting with SSC elders along with the state’s VP Ahmed Karash, who hails from the Sool region.

As of March 6, at least 145 people were reported killed, and hundreds were injured.

Somaliland declared its independence from Mogadishu in 1991 and although it is not recognized as a sovereign state, operates autonomously from the Somali government.

The recent flare-up in violence in Lasanod can be mainly attributed to the control of Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn (SSC) regions, which are located on a contested border.

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