Las Anod Conflict: ICRC Recovers 42 Bodies, Provides Humanitarian Aid
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has in the past week retrieved 42 bodies from the front lines in the Somaliland-SSC Khatumo conflict, the global humanitarian body said on Friday.
Las Anod, the capital of the war-torn Sool region in northwest Somalia, has borne the brunt of prolonged violence, causing immense suffering for its residents.
The ICRC said it transported 110 wounded people to hospitals.
Having previously visited detainees from SSC Khatumo held in Hargeisa Central Prison, the ICRC also visited visited Somaliland detainees in Las Anod.
“The purpose of these visits is purely humanitarian, with the aim of ensuring that all detainees are treated humanely and that their families know their whereabouts,” the ICRC said in a statement.
Though the exact death toll remains uncertain, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been compelled to flee the conflict zone. The ICRC has also reported substantial damage to civilian infrastructure.
The primary parties involved in the conflict are Somaliland security forces and SSC Khatumo clan militias, the latter seeking reunification with Somalia following a harsh crackdown by Somaliland security forces on civil protests. Consequently, clan elders in the region declared their intent to secede from Somaliland and align with the Federal Government of Somalia.
As hostilities persist, Somaliland, a breakaway region, has expressed concern about the treatment of their captured soldiers by SSC-Khatumo. They have called on SSC-Khatumo to adhere to the principles of the Geneva Conventions and Islamic traditions regarding the treatment of prisoners.
