The Human Rights Centre would like to extend our condolences to the lives taken by the unnecessary actions of the police. According to our documentation, the death toll in all regions totals five individuals and multiple injuries around the country. Our records show more than forty people injured in Burco, and ten individuals injured in Erigavo, twenty people arrested in Erigavo, two hundred people arrested and injured in Hargeisa as stated by the police, including the arrest of journalist Ahmed Zaki Ibrahim, and cameraman Abdinassir Abdinur.
While there is still missing information to the full extent of the arrests and injuries that occurred on 11/8/2022, the Centre would like it to be known that the deaths and injuries of civilians and officers cannot be taken lightly. We condemn all police brutality actions against demonstrators, including use of illegal force and live ammunition. As such, we are demanding accountability and an independent investigation into the actions that transpired during the protests.
Peaceful demonstrations are a tenet of the rights enshrined in Somaliland’s constitution. Somaliland’s pledge to SDG16+ requires clear commitment from all relevant entities in Somaliland to follow national and international standards of human rights, respecting the rights of others to demonstrate peacefully.
Yasmin Omar H. Mohamoud
Chairperson of the Human Rights Center
Hargeisa Somaliland
hrcsomaliland@gmail.com
Twitter: @hrcsomaliland
