Erigavo ( WDN) A fighting has broken out in Erigavo (Ceergaabo), a city that has remained relatively peaceful amid the chaos that has marked Somalia for the past 22 years.
Residents of Erigavo have witnessed on Friday night a fighting between the Somaliland administration police and residents of the city. According to WDN sources in Erigavo, the fighting began when the Somaliland administration in Hargeysa ordered to put use of Somaliland currency, known as land. The currency used in the city has been divided along clan lines. The Darood sub clans have been using the Somali Shilling, which was the official currency by the last functioning government of Somalia and also is used throughout Somalia, while the Isaq sub clans have used the Land currency from Hargeysa.
According to some residents this fighting has been many years in the making, as the clans that share Erigavo have not had an agreeable local administration, there was however relative peace in the area.
Erigavo is home to Warsengeli, Dhulbahante., Habaryoonis and Habarjeclo. The Warsengeli and Dhulbahante are from the Harti subclan of Darood and they are apposed to the Somaliland administration in Hargeysa. While the Habaryoonis and Habrjeclo are sub clans of the Isaaq and are supporters of the Somaliland administration.
WDN souces reported that the fighting of Erigavo began when Somaliland administration forced businesses to replace the Somali currency with the objection of the businesses owned by the Daroods that led some Darood prominent business people to be jailed. The families of the jailed business owners protested the action of the Somaliland police. The police tried to break the protest by shooting at people and therefore the fighting broke out. Some businesses were set on fire and so far 10 people were injured.
The situation is currently fluid and if the elders and local community leaders don’t engage and resolve the issue in peaceful manner, could re-ignite a new clan warfare.
WardheerNews
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