Maamulka somaliland ayaa xasuuq ba’an kula kacay shacabka ku dhaqan Awdal tasoo la diyaariyey in loo sheego hayada quudiya si looga joojiyo mucaawinada iyo hubka ay ku xasuuqayaan shacabka Awdal.
- fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk
- ohchr-InfoDesk@un.org
- DELEGATION-SOMALIA@eeas.europa.eu
4.DELEGATION-SOMALIA-HOD@eeas.europa.eu
5.SomaliaPublicAffairs@state.gov
6.amnesty.kenya@amnesty.or.ke
Dear United Nations, International Community, and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom,
We are writing to you with deep urgency and profound alarm regarding the ongoing human rights violations and repeated cycles of violence occurring in the northern regions of Somalia. We appeal to the United Nations, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union, and all international partners who operate in Somalia to recognise the severity of this situation and act before more lives are lost.
Since 2023, the world has witnessed the tragic events that unfolded in Laascaanood, where civilians were subjected to indiscriminate killings, targeted attacks, and mass displacement. These acts, carried out under the authority of the Somaliland administration, were documented by international bodies yet have not been met with adequate accountability. Entire neighbourhoods were destroyed, lives were shattered, and thousands were forced to flee from their homes. These actions were in clear violation of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions’ explicit protections for civilians in conflict zones.
Despite the extensive reporting, appeals from local communities, and the clear visibility of the atrocities, the lack of decisive international action allowed the crisis to deepen. This inaction has created a dangerous precedent where those responsible for violence have learned that they can operate without consequences.
Today, in nearly the end of 2025, we are witnessing the same patterns of violence re-emerge in Borama, where civilians are once again facing the horrors of targeted killings and suppression. The attacks under the leadership of Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi “Ciro” continue the harmful legacy of the previous administration under Muse Bihi, demonstrating that the systemic issues of political repression, militarisation, and disregard for human life remain intact.
For years, Somaliland’s leadership has presented an image to the world of peace, democracy, and stability. However, the events in Laascaanood shattered that image irreversibly. The narrative of “peaceful Somaliland” failed to reflect the lived reality of communities who have long experienced political exclusion, discrimination, and violence. These communities have raised concerns for years, yet their voices have been silenced both internally and globally. The world can no longer accept the misleading political façade promoted by regional authorities while civilians are being targeted, intimidated, and displaced.
These repeated attacks are not isolated incidents; they point to a broader pattern of systematic abuses , including:
-The militarisation of civilian areas
-Collective punishment of communities demanding their rights
-Suppression of peaceful demonstrations
-Intimidation of journalists and human rights defenders-
Arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances -Denial of humanitarian access
-Political manipulation of clan dynamics to consolidate power
These actions undermine regional stability, threaten the fragile progress made in wider Somalia, and violate multiple international human rights instruments such as the international Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and customary humanitarian law.
We strongly urge the international community to take urgent and concrete steps, including:
- Establish an independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the killings in Laascaanood and Borama, with guarantees of unfettered access to affected areas and survivors.
- Impose targeted measures against individuals or entities responsible for grave human rights violations until genuine accountability is pursued.
- Support civilian protection monitoring teams, particularly in areas where communities are at heightened risk.
- Ensure humanitarian organisations have full access to the displaced populations without political interference.
- Demand transparency and oversight within the Somaliland security apparatus, including lawful conduct of forces and prohibition of attacks on civilians.
- Amplify the voices of affected communities, including women, elders, youth, and marginalised groups who have been excluded from political processes.
- Publicly acknowledge the deteriorating human rights situation and end the long-standing practice of overlooking the abuses for the sake of political convenience.
We want to emphasise that our letter is not a political attack, but an urgent plea for the protection of human life. No political dispute, no historical narrative, and no claim of statehood can justify the killing of civilians or the systematic targeting of communities.
The international community has both a moral and legal responsibility to intervene when civilians are at risk of mass atrocities. Silence enables impunity, and impunity breeds further violence. If meaningful steps are not taken now, the region risks entering a far more dangerous trajectory one that will destabilise not only northern Somalia but potentially the entire Horn of Africa.
We call upon your institutions to uphold the principles you consistently promote: human dignity, protection of the vulnerable, accountability, and justice.
The people affected by the tragedies in Laascaanood and Borama deserve more than statements of concern—they deserve decisive action, international protection, and the assurance that their suffering is not ignored.
Respectfully,
Your Name ( Magacada)
