Somaliland
SOMALILAND: Residents protest in solidarity with prisoners on hunger strike
December 22, 2011 · 21 Comments
LAS ANOD — Residents of Sool’s provincial capital of Las Anod took to the streets on Thursday to show solidarity with prisoners staging a hunger strike at the city’s main prison.
Angry protesters briefly blocked main roads with burning tyres and rocks as they demanded their release. The strike was sparked when the city’s prison warden informed the press that prisoners were on hunger strike for several weeks due to them being detained without trials for several years. The Protesters chanted “free the prisoners or bring them to court” as they occupied main roads.
Thursday’s strike disrupted traffic and brought the city to a stand still as all businesses shut their doors and local transport within the city was also suspended.
Local sources told Somalilandpress that the prisoners conditions are getting worst since they have been on hunger strike for almost two weeks. There is an ongoing dialogue between the prisoners and the local government, however the prisoners demanded that they speak to senior figures from Hargeisa.
This is the first time in Somaliland that the country’s prisoners have gone on food strike due to the slow moving of the court process. The Chief magistrate judge of Sool region Mr Ahmed Saleban Geele was gunned down earlier this year as he return from an evening prayer and that could also be a contributing factor of these prisoners not having the chance to face the courts.
Somalilandpress
Email this story
By Mo Guled
Tags: Las Anod, Prisoner Strike, Somaliland, Sool Crisis
Readers Comments (21)
Somaliland
Somaliland: Grand Opening for a New State of The Art Coca Cola Bottling Plant In Hargeisa
Hargeisa-President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud (silanyo) today cut the ribbon to a new modern beverage production plant which is owned by Coca Cola Company ...
Somaliland-Ethiopia Relationship
Overpowering Gratitude Vs Vexing Misgivings By Ahmed I. Hassan Author’s Note: This is the chapter on Somaliland-Ethiopia Relationship in a book titled “Somaliland: The Legacies of Non-Recognition” which ...
SOMALIA: Turkish Airlines diverts to Nairobi after security scare in Mogadishu
MOGADISHU — A carrier operated by Turkish Airlines left its Somali passengers stranded in the wrong airport after landing in Kenya rather than their intended ...
UN envoy in Somalia concerned over violent clashes in Hargeisa
Photo: Special Representative Augustine Mahiga (UN Photo/Stuart Price) NAIROBI — The United Nations envoy in Somalia, Augustine P. Mahiga, today expressed concern over recent violent clashes ...
SOMALILAND: President urges citizens to uphold peace and stability
HARGEISA — The Somaliland National Independence day celebrations that was widely marked within and outside the country, had an added flavor when the State House grounds witnessed ...
Your Say
IN MEMORY OF DR. ABDISHAKUR JOWHAR – FRANZ FANON OF THE SOMALI PEOPLE*
BY BASHIR GOTH “He lit up a room. If you can imagine the sun, his face was like the sun, that smile, the arm around ...
- Somaliland media: Spreading the word
- SOMALILAND: Where is the Justice in our Justice System?
- Unionist are Dead — Long Live SOMALILAND
- Apprehending Ratco Mladic: a reminder of a war criminal working as jury
- Dr Jowhar: We lost a friend, a Hero
- GEESI LOO HANWEYNAA – A tribute to my hero Dr. Jowhar
- 10 Years after Timor’s Independence, Where Is the Justice?
- Why Hiil Qaran Party Will Not Have a Significant Impact on the Politics of Somalia
- Sunday 20 May: Join in Commemorating late Dr Jowhar
- Qurbomeer State should stop smearing the reputation of Lula A Osman
Somalia: Federalism, Division and The Dual Track Policy
OPINION | MAY 20, 2012 Photo: Alternative to federalism and Somaliland/Somalia ideology – the three branch Somalia (three branches of government in three different parts of ...
Somaliland National day – for the sake of a decent life and principle of the future
OPINION | May 18, 2012 By Abdirahman Maeeg In a wonderful day like this day, our talk should have significance from a different angle; it is an ...
Imaging you are in prison for years without anyone even know you are there? At least they should be face kangroo court what they had accused of or let go for Allah's sake. Today the one who keeping people behind injustice close doors may be the one face tomorrow. Hey, what happened to S.land supporters who are quick to comment on billion dollars of donations and ignore how people live in our regions injusly. Then again those who are experiencing the pain of injustice should be those who should do anything to get justice for their people. Shame on somaliland leadership.
This isn't totally Somaliland administration fault, there is shortage in leaders in Sool, each state within Somaliland has a local administration.The state of Sool just seems to be the weakest one because of all the border hostilities from terror that spread from puntland supporters who fund and incourage to distablize Eastern Somaliland and these are the same cowardly murderers involved in the assassination of Sool officials; once those few people are kilt, who would to fill their place.Look at all the other regions in Somaliland even Awdal system is functioning well but Sool has been most behind in ages as state in Somaliland and also the least developed during Somalia days and during British Somaliland times.
Let them protest. The prisoners are criminals and if they want to starve themselves to death let it be. Saves us our bariis and bread. We can give it to someone more deserving not criminals.
They protesting because they heard their elders have released the fake terrorist SSC group has collapsed so they want to establish a new underground group with links to al qaeda in Taleeh. Puntland has already arrested some of them and Somaliland should send forces to Taleeh village and demolish that Mad Mullah tomb.
wallah weneed more people like you in goverment instead of these FULAY (cowards) who are too scared to dress the issues in these regoins specaily sool and sanaag and awdalstate
100%
Taking the freedom of a person should not be taken lightly at any cost. If you can't put people due process, don't bother claiming to take a responsibility which you cannot oblige.
i think the benefit system in the uk has brain washed you about the human writes of criminals
We can donate their food to the starving kids in Mogadishu who would appreciate.
Arnt these guys the same ones responsible for all the terror attacks in Somaliland, killing a police chief, gunning down a young woman right in front of her home?
Let them starve! There are hungry Somalis in konfuur that could use the bariis iyo sugo
I say kill them
mee too brother but who will listen to the 99%
hang in there just a little while longer, you have not be forgotten.
you will be reunited with the people of Puntland.
I fill sorry for you but they will be killed just like they did to those peopel do you think that you can kill a person and get away with no no no He will die and each and every one that kills a person will be killed this is not puntland THIS IS SOMALILAND WE ARE A NATION.
I am proud that we have a elected government. But all bogus??? (Law and Order, Freedom of Speech etc.) It seems that they are not very busy with their work. Is the government thinking about the well-beeing of the people. That would be their duty and thats why they are elected into parlement. Do they pursue only their interest like the other governments from sub-Saharan African countries?? They keep people in prison for years without verdict ? Unbelievable ! They might have certain people locked up in order to muzzle them. The former government latch on to power, God give that the current government will devolve the power to a new one if the people choose so. Anyone who thinks the current government could do things better please send me an email : h.afhakama@gmx.de. Then we discuss and contrive recommendations how avert a wrong path.
They should be put on trial or released at once. No one is guilty untill convicted by a court and these men's God given rights must be protected by the Sool leaders. There could be innocent people among them. If the courts in Sool cannot cope with all of them, some of them should be transfered and tried in the other provinces. Shame on the government.
There is better things the government can do to help improve the juridical system than to feed some cowardly murders; its in the well-being of the people to let these murderers rot in cell, it's a eye for eye in the real world. If the government let these criminals go again, they will commit the same atrocities once more; these terrorist bandits need to get a taste of their own medicine for killing innocent people off with their heads.
Just before couple of days the Hargeisa residents protest against serious situation of the prisoners jailed at Hargeisa Central Prison after one of the prisoners dead without medical for TB, and now we are seeing other prison condition's protest Residents protest in solidarity with prisoners on hunger strike.
This is a prove that President Silaany's government has broken the most important part of the Somaliland constitution which protect the rights of citizens, before couple of months the minister of justice Mr. Hussein Ahmed Aydiid had visited the facility in Lasanood, and said the prison is very small, overcrowd and lack of hygienic.
Furthermore, we were aware the Somaliland government violations against independent media which has reaches the peak since Silaanyo's come to power.
Injustice around country's justice system is untold.
So, my question is where Somaliland is going?
Hargeisa residents have every right to protest because they do not harbor criminals, terrorists and fugitives. Those in Las Anod are what I call "Hasha Labada geel Jacayl…midna gadhi waydee…laba gabi dhaxdoodu waraabuhu ku gowracaay". Allow me to explain. You see those snakes run to Hargeisa one night for qamadi and next day they are in Garowe collecting Farole's left-overs.
When they couldn't satisfy neither Hargeisa nor Garowe, they decided to assassinate and hunt down each others (waraabuhu ku gowracay)…now they crying crocodile tears markaan kala qabanay and put those that were hunting them down in prisons. Hashu caqli xuma? Now the haal is saying we will starve our selves from Hargeisa's fresh milk? Maxaa nagaa galay we will send it to where it is needed.
Marka anigu as Kayse, I have no respect for Hasha Labada geel jacayl…kalay caano soo doono ku dheh when you starve yourself for two months.
Who are these prisoners are they political prisoners or common criminals? Either way the rule of law should prevail and they should have their day in court. Anything short of that is undemocratic and against Somaliland tradition. We are all equal before the law.
Regardless of which prisoners they ar, whether political or criminal gangs, it is quite unfair to keep them in jail for more than a year. It proves that, there are no legal justice in Somaliland jails. Disgraceful.
Musa Mohamud